Giving Back Through Corporate Volunteering
When I heard the announcement my company, S&P Global, would be encouraging community service by granting five Give Back Days to each employee, I knew I had to take advantage. I’m on our local Activities Committee, and we sprung into action! We knew organizing group volunteer days would help our team members take advantage of a very generous benefit.
Since I had a tie to Housing Families First, it was only natural we’d have a team volunteer at the shelter. It was important for me to make a connection between what I do outside of work with the community of people inside my work.
Our Richmond team spent the month of February gathering donations before our volunteer day at the shelter. From sheets to shaving cream, we covered a lot of the must-need items on the shelter’s list. Since families spend 30-40 days in the shelter, they knew they needed new pillows, sheets, toiletries, and more – especially since those items are theirs to keep, the first step toward home.
We arrived at the shelter ready to get to work! The shelter can have 10 families in it at a time, which means there is a lot to do each week. Our team specifically focused on deep cleaning in the kitchen, dining, play, and tutoring areas, sorting through donations in the basement, and then creating “move out” kits to help families celebrate getting their new home with basics like dishes, glasses, pots, and pans.
This also gave us a chance to connect with S&P Global’s #ChangePays campaign. Many of the families that come through the shelter are single mothers with children. They are facing challenges that might keep them from reaching their full potential in the workplace. Housing Families First not only provides shelter, but they connect with training resources, counseling resources, and even transportation to make sure those women can continue to contribute to their families. It is part of creating an inclusive economy, and volunteers like our teams have contributed computers, bus tickets, work clothing, and more as part of creating a stable environment for families.
Our Give Back Day was a big success, and it’s part of the larger opportunity to connect S&P Global with the community. It’s really easy to find out if your organization supports volunteer days, matching gifts, special project grants, and more. Take a look at your own company’s website or reach out to someone in your Human Resources or Corporate Responsibility teams, then email Terri Iguina ([email protected]) to get your team scheduled!
Written by: Emily Jasper. Emily is on the Board of Directors for Housing Families First. She works as a Senior Product Manager at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
