TASC, Inc. Delivers Holiday Cheer Throughout the Year - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

TASC, Inc. Delivers Holiday Cheer Throughout the Year - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

First Niagara Bank Partners with YMCA Associations in Southeastern Pennsylvania to Promote Youth Mentoring

First Niagara Bank Partners with YMCA Associations in Southeastern Pennsylvania to Promote Youth Mentoring

Ethical Employee Volunteering

The blog "Realizing Your Worth" has posted an interesting entry on companies that steal employees' social capital by claiming the employees' volunteer hours for their own--even when the company didn't provide support for the volunteer activity.

Australia: Alcoa's Month of Service

In October, designated as a "Month of Service," Australian employees of Alcoa donated more than 7,500 volunteer hours to non-profit organizations and community service.

Some projects included:

• working at the Peel Soup Kitchen in Western Australia
• constructing an Indigenous Bushfoods Garden near Alcoa’s Point Henry Smelter in Victoria with Greening Australia
• painting, cleaning, and installing a floor at the Portland Surf Lifesaving Club
• repainting a beloved train at the Harvey Lion's Club

With 35 to 40% of Alcoa employees participating in the initiative, Managing Director Alan Cransberg reported, “October is always a fun time for Alcoans, but importantly we see real community results and efforts which will have a lasting impact – we helped over 600 community groups this year and planted over 4000 native seedlings."

Press Release

ING Employees Raise Almost $2 million for Charities

With almost 40% of U.S. employees in 14 locations participating, the 2010 ING Employee Giving Campaign raised nearly $2 million for non-profit organizations. ING reports:

"Employees made individual contributions to their favorite charities and hosted fundraising events to raise additional money for local nonprofit organizations with which they volunteer through the company's national employee volunteer program."

The company reports that the donations are facilitated by payroll deduction or "other methods."

ING Employee Giving Campaign Press Release
Community Involvement at ING

Whirlpool at 100

Today, Whirpool broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Ohio, that is expected to create over 100 jobs in the community. Additionally, the 1 million square foot facility will be an energy-efficient, LEED certified building.

The groundbreaking was one of several events held today to inaugurate a year-long celebration leading up to Whirlpool's 100th anniversary in November, 2011.

One of the anniversary initiatives is a soon-to-launch employee volunteer program that will encourage employees to volunteer 100 hours over the course of the year.

Clarksville Business and Heritage Story
Whirlpool Press Release

MillerCoors Water Stewardship Month

This September, MillerCoors is sponsoring their second annual Water Stewardship Month. Like many beverage companies, MillerCoors focuses on water conservation as a sustainability goal, trying to reduce the amount of water used per unit of finished beverage. Helping local watersheds is a natural extension of this commitment. Last year, over 500 employee volunteers provided 1650 hours of work to help clean river banks and beaches, remove invasive species, plant native trees and shrubs, and test water quality. These activities will be repeated in 2010 in the eleven communities in which MillerCoors has breweries or a corporate office. The company is donating $2 to the United Way for every employee volunteer hour logged to the project.

Press Release

Early EVPs

Company historians at Johnson and Johnson discuss the long history of employee volunteerism at the company in a recent entry from the Kilmer House Blog. As early as 1907, members of the Laurel Club, a group of women employees seeking "education and enjoyment," raised funds for a hospital bed and a holiday party and gifts for an orphanage in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They also sponsored weekly well-baby clinics for residents without access to regular medical care.

See how this tradition continues today at Johnson and Johnson on their "Community Involvement" page on their website.

Berkshire Bank EVP Helps Soldiers

The Employee Volunteer Program of Berkshire Bank, which operates in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts, is sponsoring a care package drive for soldiers. Customers will be encouraged to donate non-perishable goods, DVDs, games, and toiletries. With the care packages will be sent letters written by employees and local school kids. The care packages will be distributed by non-profit organizations (like the local Red Cross) who have experience working with distributing items to armed services members.

News Story

Southwest Airlines Reveals Tickets for Time (T4T) Program

Last week, Southwest Airlines unveiled their new program for Employee Volunteers -- Tickets for Time (or T4T). If an employee logs at least 40 volunteer hours with an eligible non-profit organization, the organization can receive a complimentary round-trip ticket. The ticket can be used for fundraising (as in an auction item or raffle prize) or can be used for the group's operations. Each organization can receive a maximum of 6 tickets a year, and different volunteers can participate for the same organization.

Freddie Mac Employee Volunteer Programs

Freddie Mac has myriad opportunities for employees who want to volunteer, and they support this with a strong commitment to matching employees with appropriate opportunities. The emphasis has paid off--25% of employees participate in Home Team projects to help develop communities. EVs can help tutor children, renovate houses, or help teach financial literacy, and a number of employees serve or have served on boards of non-profit organizations.

Employee Volunteerism at Freddie Mac