8/6/2019 Spotlight on workplace volunteering programs

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A5 06-16-2011 Set: 21:21:12

Sent by: ebooke@dallasnews.com Briefing CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

briefing The Dallas Morning News dallasnews.com THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011 5

LOCALVOLUNTEERING

1Work at a museum: TheMuseum of Nature and

Science provides a hands-oneducation for all ages. Volunteers are needed to sendout membership renewals, foldletters, sort materials and assistthe membership manager witha wide variety of duties. Min.age: 16.

Time:8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Monday through Friday 

Volunteers needed:2Location:Dallas (75210)Contact: Fyve Hilton,

972-201-0552,fhilton@natureandscience.org; www.natureandscience.org

2Bean Office Angel:The American Red Cross

provides assistance andreferrals to local families thathave been affected by disaster.

It needs volunteers to serve asthe first contact for disasterclients seeking assistance, as well as provide basic support inmany other areas. Min. age: 18.

Time:8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday 

Volunteers needed:4Location:Dallas (75235)Contact: Jennifer Bussell,

214-678-4520, jbussell@redcrossdallas.org; www.redcrossdallas.org

3Answer crisis calls:

 Victims Outreach seeks tohelp victims of crime and violence survive, heal andthrive. Volunteers will answercalls that come into the24-hour crisis hotline, and they  will offer emotional support

and information/referrals for victims of crime. Min. age: 18.

Time:5 p.m.-9 a.m. on weekdays; weekend shiftsavailable

Volunteers needed:50Location:Dallas (75205)Contact: Lorelei Gregory,

214-358-5173,lorelei@victims-outreach.org; www.victims-outreach.org

4Process donations: The Volunteer Center of North

Texas is dedicated totransforming communities andstrengthening nonprofitsthrough volunteerism. Volunteers are needed toprocess donations at theTarrant County Donated Goods warehouse. Must be reliable

and able to lift 20 pounds. Min.age: 16.

Time:OngoingVolunteers needed:30Location:Fort Worth

(76133)Contact: Judy Shannon,

817-927-7172, jshannon@vcnt.org; www.volunteernorthtexas.org/tarrantcounty/

5Usher children’s

performances: PlanoChildren’s Theatre providesquality family entertainmentand arts education whichdevelops cognitive skills,integrity, discipline, the craft of performing and visual arts,creativity, good citizenship andsocial and communicationskills. It needs volunteers to setup for performances, sellconcessions, usher and cleanup. Min. age: 12.

Time:OngoingVolunteers needed:5Location:Plano (75075)Contact: Sara Akers,

972-422-2575, sakers@planochildrenstheatre.org; www.planochildrenstheatre.org

The Volunteer Center of

North Texas receives

thousands of volunteer

opportunities from more

than 1,700 area nonprofit

groups. For more

information, visit

www.vcnt.org.

LEND A HAND

During tough economictimes, some

corporations don’t hold back,they give back. When raises, benefits and resources take ahit, some companies look foralternative ways to boostemployee morale as well astheir profile in thecommunity.

For many firms, volunteerism is the solution.

 Vangie Garza, director of Corporate Services at the Volunteer Center of NorthTexas, says in the past three years she’s seen a 40 percentincrease in the number of companies looking to thecenter for ideas on how tohelp others.

The Volunteer Centerhelps match companies withagencies that complementtheir business model andstrategy. For example, shesays, Texas Instruments’ focuson education would matchperfectly with Junior Achievement, while ExxonMobil might work better withan environmental group.

“We want that return oninvestment to be ongoing,”Garza says. “We want them tomarry.”

The Volunteer Center’sHands at Work program helpscompanies organize Day of Service projects for groups of 

employees. Garza says it’s agood way for employees to getout of the office, bond withone another and gain someperspective.

“Because the economicclimate has been so difficultlately, employee morale iskey,” she says. “Companiesfigure if they do a day of service, employees may see,

‘Hmm, I’m not so bad off as Ithought. Because there areothers who are more truly inneed than I am.’ ”

Garza says service projectsare also a way for employersto identify growthopportunities for individuals.

“Some may not be leadersat the company, but they suredo surface to the top,” shesays. “Employees can grow by leading a team, makingdecisions, being creative and being a problem-solver —

everything you need on the job.”

In addition to serviceprojects, the Volunteer Center

offers options for companiesthat want to learn more or diga little deeper into corporatesocial responsibility. Theagency provides projectleader training and team building as well as post-eventanalysis and consultation onhow a company can create itsown employee volunteer workplace program.

But not every company hasthe budget for an entireprogram.

“Many agencies just need

 bodies and the smiles that goalong with them,” says Garza.“It’s a wonderful connection. And many employees will go back on their own and give of their time.”

Even if the economy improves, Garza says there’s been a paradigm shift in thecorporate world: “Nowcompanies are being held

more accountable with thedollars they give out and whatthey invest in,” she says. “Thecompany is still targeting

their bottom line, but they aredoing it in a way that gives back to their community.

“And even when times arereally good, I think that’s when we’ll see even moreinvolvement,” she says.“Because now they have a fewmore dollars they can counton to give.”

 Erin Booke

Companies find ways to help

SETTING THE BAR | INTERSTATE BATTERIES

It’s not just business asusual when a corporationhas a chaplain’s department.

Interstate Batteries, aDallas-based battery  business founded onChristian principles, calledto corporate chaplain Henry Rogers about 19 years ago.He heard of the company’smission — “to treat others as we want to be treated” — andknew that was where he belonged.

“You know you work for acompany that cares aboutmore than just the bottomline,” he says. “That they careabout and are making aninvestment in the lives of other people. And that’s a life well lived. It’s not just aboutthe money.”

The chaplain’s

department offers a variety of services to employees,from counseling referrals tosummer camps for kids. But what really brings peopletogether are the community service projects that allowemployees to better the livesof others as well as their own.

Rogers has launched various programs andcommunity connectionsduring his tenure, includingmonthly volunteer nights atUnion Gospel Mission,letter-writing to soldiers as well as children at a Russianorphanage, and gift-givingduring the holidays with Angel Tree, an agency that benefits children of prison

inmates. Sometimesemployees receive paid timeoff to volunteer.

“When you think of corporate America, the wordthat pops into your mind isgreed,” says Rogers. “There’s just a negative connotation.But there shouldn’t be. Itshould be, ‘What a greatorganization, what a greatopportunity to plug into thegifts and talents of their

people and make a differencein the lives of people whoneed caring and love.’ ”

Interstate recently conducted volunteeringevents at two Dallaselementary schools. “I’venever felt like a rock star before, but when you walkinto those schools you see allthe kids lined up with signsthat say ‘We love Interstate.’ We hadn’t even done any  work yet,” Rogers says.“These kids knew that allthese people cared aboutthem. I like expressing ourlove for other people in a realtangible way, and Interstateallows us the time to do that.”

 Another outreachprogram at the company iscalled Second Chance. Inpartnership with UnionGospel Mission and severalother agencies, the programhelps homeless people find jobs.

“If you want to get off thestreets and make a lifechange, you can get in theprogram there [UGM] fortwo years,” Rogers says. “At

the end of the period, findinga job is a piece of that. But

 who wants to hire someone with that past? Well, we will.”Interstate hires people for

one year with full medical benefits. After that, they’veeither worked themselvesinto a job or the company willassist them with findinganother one, says Rogers.

“You can imagine howincredibly nervous they areduring the interview process,”says Rogers. “One lady, she

looked at me and said, ‘This isthe most important day of my 

life.’ I love being a part of seeing people’s lives change.” Ashley Vasek has worked at

Interstate Batteries for just alittle over a year, but she’salready participated in variouscommunity service projects.

“When I started looking foranother company to work at, volunteering was really important to me,” she says.“They had to respect the factthat I volunteer and there are

times that I need to not behere.”

 Vasek first participated in

the company’s volunteermonth last September, whenInterstate Batteries organizedhalf- and full-day  volunteering events every Thursday. She got involved with Rainbow Days, which benefits children in toughsituations. She took a friend with her to build after-schoolkits for the children. “Seeinghow it affected her and how itkind of encouraged her to getmore involved in thecommunity was a greatencouragement to me,” shesays.

 Vasek and her husbandalso contribute to Angel Treeduring the holidays. “My husband and I, we don’t give

each other gifts,” she says. “Wedon’t need anything. We bothhave jobs and have a decentlife. So we buy things for eachother’s Angel Tree kids. It’skind of a fun thing to do.”

 Vasek, who works in theretail division, says work canstill be long and draining. “Butat the end of the day, I knowthat I’m working for acompany that is making adifference. I might beconcentrating on work at thetime, but it’s nice to knowthere are other people aroundme who are passionate about volunteering.”

 Vasek is on a corporaterunning team that is raisingmoney to bring clean water to

a village in Zambia throughthe World Vision program.“What’s neat about that is

that we don’t sell batteries inZambia,” says Rogers. “The work we do overseas is notabout the bottom l ine. We doit because there’s a need there.If we can take running, whichsome people enjoy doing, andcombine it with volunteer work, we can change lives.”

 Erin Booke

 /

COMPANY CHAPLAIN HENRY ROGERS has worked at Interstate Batteries for about 19

years. Ashley Vasek, who works in the retail division, joined the company recently.

COMMUNITY FOCUS | CORPORATE VOLUNTEERISM

DURING A COMPANY-SPONSORED volunteer month last September, employees from Interstate Batteries did some

landscape work at Herbert Marcus Elementary School in northwest Dallas.

INTERSTATE BATTERIES employees have written letters

to soldiers overseas as well as to orphans in Russia.

Employer encourages workers to give back