This week is National Volunteer Week — a weeklong celebration of the impact of volunteer service in our communities. Volunteers are critical to delivering the missions of nonprofits. They are up for any challenge and are a positive force for good.
Volunteering is a great way to engage with the local community, but with full work schedules and personal commitments it can be challenging to set aside time to make a difference. That’s why many companies, including Mollard Consulting, offer volunteer paid time off so employees can give their time to support the nonprofit causes they care about.
At Mollard Consulting, our team members are actively making a difference. To recognize them in honor of National Volunteer Week, we’ve outlined some of their efforts below. We hope these opportunities inspire ways for you to give back, too!
Blood Donations
Jenny is always lending a helping hand, whether it be sharing baked goods with elderly neighbors or helping with food drives. She also knows that giving blood saves lives, especially in times of great need like the one we are experiencing. She donated blood last month to the American Red Cross to help those with life-threatening illnesses, blood disorders, traumatic injuries, and other conditions.
Boards and Committees
Kerri is one to generously share her time and expertise to help our community prosper. She is a founding chairwoman of the Reeb Advisory Council, a strategic think tank in support of the Reeb Avenue Center. She serves on the City of New Albany’s Board of Zoning Appeals and on the Finance Committee of her church. She recently completed a Finance Committee role with the Matriots, an Ohio PAC dedicated to electing more women to office in Ohio. She also helps with her daughter’s Irish dance school and rides every year in Pelotonia as a member of the Girls with Gears peloton.
Buddy Boxes
Lindsey helps the Family Mentor Foundation provide Buddy Boxes for kids who rely on school lunches for their best meals. Buddy Boxes are boxes filled with kid-friendly, nutritious, nonperishable food items to help bridge the gap for meals at home on the weekends and when kids are not in school. Lindsey helps assemble and pack the boxes that are then distributed through local schools.
Food Delivery
Dana is an on-call volunteer for the Food Recovery Network, an organization that helps to fight food waste and hunger. She picks up fresh produce or prepared foods that are not purchased from stores and delivers the food to local shelters. She also enjoys volunteering at Harrison Farm through a variety of activities like wrangling goats, livestock care, and farm chores.
Litter Clean Ups
Morgan volunteers regularly at the Wexner Medical Center through the Pet Pals program with her pet dog, McDuff, a registered therapy dog who brings joy and comfort to patients. While volunteering is currently on pause at the hospital, Morgan and McDuff continue to be an unstoppable duo by doing litter clean ups on their daily walks.
Resource Bag Drop Offs
Catherine volunteers for Cultivate CDC, a collaborative community resource in Milo-Grogan. She writes their monthly newsletters, the most recent of which was a compilation of COVID-19 related resources. She recently assisted in dropping off resources bags that included the monthly newsletter, food, toilet paper, and hygiene products.
Although many volunteer opportunities have been put on hold, there are organizations that need help providing their essential services now more than ever. Besa and United Way of Central Ohio and have up to date listings of available opportunities on their website. There are also untraditional ways to help, like checking in on your friends, family members, and neighbors. You can make a difference by offering to run errands, mow their lawn, and chat with them on the phone.
Volunteers are vital to the strength of nonprofits, especially during this time of need and uncertainty. Thank you to all of the volunteers who make Central Ohio a thriving community. What ways are you giving back?
Article by: Morgan Veach Kerns, Associate Writer
