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| >PRESS ROOM |
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PRESS ROOM
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| Volunteering becoming a company standard Susie Steckner American Express supervisor Candy Lackey works with Junior Achievement to give schoolchildren hands-on lessons in business and economics. And Jennifer Jakemer, human-resources manager for Cavan Real Estate Investments, serves breakfast to homeless women and men at St. Vincent de Paul. These women are committed to giving back to the community and, with encouragement from their employers, are making service a part of their workdays. Employee-volunteer programs across the Valley are being fueled by employees who want service opportunities, employers who want to do more than just business, and communities that expect companies to be good corporate citizens. "It makes it very worthwhile to be there (serving breakfast) at six o'clock in the morning," said Jakemer, 27, who oversees Cavan's volunteer programs. "It's a great way to start the day, feeling like you've helped somebody. "I think you actually get more out of being hands-on involved than the company writing big checks." Putting in the timeOn average, Arizonans give about 194 volunteer hours a year, or nearly four hours per week, according to the 2003 "Arizona Giving and Volunteering Report" by Arizona State University's Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management. Women are more likely to volunteer than men, with an average of 201 hours per year compared with 188 hours by men.No local statistics of workplace-volunteer efforts are kept, but Valley companies are making strides to engage employees, said Pat Lewis, senior professional-in-residence and faculty associate at the non-profit center. Companies offer paid time off, put volunteer efforts in job-performance reviews, invite non-profits to talk with employees and ask employees to help make charitable-giving decisions. Executives also contract with ASU's center for programs to train employees serving on non-profit boards, Lewis said. Good corporate citizensBusiness owner Marcia Rowley said giving back should be a routine part of business."We, as an organization in Phoenix, bring a lot to the community in the sense that we're a big employer," said Rowley, 42, co-founder of International Cruise & Excursions in Phoenix. "But we've been so, so successful . . . I could never sleep if I was not giving back to the community that has supported our growth and our success." International Cruise & Excursions, with 800 employees, makes financial contributions to several organizations, holds monthly in-house fundraising contests and is working to link an optional $3 charity fee to cruise bookings. Employees can volunteer during workdays. This kind of support from employers is critical for professionals, said Donna Martin, volunteer-services manager at the non-profit Fresh Start Women's Foundation in Phoenix. "It's not uncommon for women to really want to volunteer, and when we have the conversation, they start thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, I have these other commitments. How am I going to do that?'" Martin said. "If the work environment is encouraging . . . it becomes that much easier to act on your passion." Giving can be done in many ways. Here are three: 1) For the time-starved Volunteering doesn't necessarily mean spending hours a week reading to kids. Non-profits offer many opportunities for occasional volunteering, which is especially appealing to time-starved employees. One of the easiest ways to give back is to hold a drive for an organization, Martin said. Rally colleagues to collect everything from baby diapers to canned food to gently used business suits. Non-profits typically have special events during the year and need volunteers for one-time jobs. Grab a few co-workers and spend a Saturday passing out bottled water at a walk or offer to work at the reservation table for a conference. For volunteers who want to interact with the people they're helping, serving meals and handing out food boxes are among the best opportunities. St. Vincent has volunteers serve meals and help in the kitchen. The agency's breakfast club, open 6 to 8 a.m., is popular with professionals. "That's a short-term, quick, easy, needed volunteer opportunity. . . . Then they're off and running to their meetings, and they're happy," said Denise Brittain, 63, St. Vincent's director of corporate partnerships. Cavan employees serve breakfast every other month and are always awaiting the next opportunity, Jakemer said. The company provides many easy ways to give back, including: a bottled-water drive for the homeless; a toy drive for needy children; and an opportunity to wear jeans to work in exchange for donating to breast-cancer research. The causes, Jakemer said, are "near and dear" to employees. "It really brings a sense of team because everyone just rallies for them," she added. Companies can take easy projects such as drives and make them all-encompassing, which gives employees more opportunities to get involved, said Alison Bendler, secretary of the Corporate Volunteer Council, a Valley organization that brings together businesses with giving programs. For instance, if the company is holding a food drive, it can host a brown-bag seminar about hunger and send employees to a food bank to pack boxes. This approach ensures employees are informed and can see the benefit of their work, Bendler said. 2) For those with more time Employees who want work that is more involved can look to large organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army and St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. They offer daily opportunities for employee groups and have efficient systems in place to move people through their time blocks. St. Vincent, for example, needs regulars for its homeless ministry. Volunteers hand out hygiene items, continental breakfasts and sack lunches. The agency also needs people who can take in food and clothing donations, sort or tag them and stock or hand them out. At Fresh Start, volunteers are needed a few times a month to mentor women, provide career-development services and create and present workshops. Non-profits such as Fresh Start particularly rely on professionals who can bring their business experiences and skills to volunteer work. That's how Anita Favela Luera gives back. A former TV news executive, Luera has supported non-profit Valle del Sol throughout her career. She began by helping produce videos. Valle then asked her to serve on an advisory board for its Hispanic Leadership Institute. She looked at the institute's leadership program and found a hole she could fill: Media training to help participants do things such as hold a news conference. Luera, 52, said bringing her media expertise to Valle and other organizations during the years is a great bonus. "Doing volunteer work that I'm passionate about makes it more meaningful," said Luera, now head of high-school programs at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication . Lackey, the American Express supervisor, is another longtime volunteer. Junior Achievement is a perfect fit for her: It's not a huge time commitment and it's something she can do through work. Lackey, 45, a team leader in merchant services, started out teaching special curricula to help elementary-school kids better understand business and economics through activities such as running a fictional city. She later served as the company's Junior Achievement coordinator for two years and is back teaching in the classroom. This year, the company will have about 300 volunteers taking part in programs, all helping out on company time. "The programs give the kids skills and knowledge to make important decisions in their lives," Lackey said. 3) For those able to make an extensive commitment Professionals looking for intensive experiences may want to approach an organization about serving on a board of directors, advisory council or task force, or for special events and campaigns. Be ready to commit to a few years as a board member and as needed in an advisory role. You may spend several months or more on projects and events. Jones-Williams, 52, Avnet's global business management director, is in her third year on Goodwill's board. It's "not a resume builder," she said. She attends board meetings every other month, plus her governance committee's regular meetings. She helps with Goodwill's large fundraiser, this year getting gift certificates for silent-auction baskets. The organization appeals to the businesswoman in her. "It puts people to work. It helps the community. It helps people help themselves," she said. Jones-Williams also volunteers for Junior Achievement, something she has done for four years. The kids' enthusiasm keeps her coming back to the classroom. "They're so full of life. It's so exciting," she said. Both volunteer experiences are dramatically different but share a common denominator: To ignite passion. Jones-Williams advises other women to look for the same in their opportunities. "You've got to find something that you are passionate about," she said. This story appears in the December issue of Arizona Woman. Pick up a free copy at Safeway or AJ's stores.
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