Volunteering is What We Do

May 2, 2016 | United Way Team

Volunteering isn’t just something United Way helps the community do; it’s also what we do!

April was National Volunteer Month, and this year, we’re proud to not only recognize the volunteers who serve United Way of East Central Iowa (UWECI) and our community, but also United Way employees. Our staff is passionate about making a difference through volunteering.

UWECI gives employees 24 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer with nonprofits and community-based organizations. This encourages staff members to share skills, talents, and time with a cause they are passionate about.

In 2015, UWECI staff contributed more than 2,000 hours during the workweek, in the evening, and on weekends with more than 30 nonprofit organizations through activities such as:

Joining a student for Lunch Buddies
Building homes through Habitat for Humanity
Leading Girl Scout troops
Mentoring youth with financial literacy or work readiness
Helping with church activities
Serving as board members for local and statewide organizations

Empowering staff to volunteer through paid time off is just one way United Way demonstrates its commitment to the community. In addition, employees participate in team building opportunities such as Day of Caring, serving summer meals, building wheelchair ramps, and holiday volunteer activities.

When UWECI staff share why they volunteer, most respond that volunteering fills their desire to make a difference. As one employee said, “All of the volunteer opportunities have been enjoyable, have expanded my understanding of the needs in our community, and have given me a sense of pride knowing that I’m helping in some small way to make a difference.”

Volunteerism helps bring balance to employees’ lives, improves emotional well-being, and allows them to build skills that improve job performance in the areas of relationship building, planning, organizing, networking, leadership, and communication. For more information about employee volunteering, please contact Sue Driscoll at sue.driscoll@uweci.org or 319-398-5372 ext. 822.