How Corporate Giving Gives Back to the Workplace

At Armstrong, giving back to our community is a big part of our corporate values. Over 16 years, we have supported numerous different charitable organizations. In 2022, we decided to focus our efforts by working to reduce hunger in the communities where we live and work. 

This blog post looks at how corporate volunteering boosts employee engagement and benefits the workplace, from recruiting and retaining employees to enhancing social ties among workers.

How Armstrong Drives Community Impact

Our partnership with local food banks kicked off this July in Boise, ID. Armstrong staff spent an evening volunteering at The Idaho Foodbank, where we repacked 3,900 pounds of apples and 2,100 pounds of potatoes – a total of 6,000 pounds moved!

Our corporate office, located in Charlotte, NC, has committed to an ongoing partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Carolinas. In July, we hosted a canned food drive, providing two full boxes of cans and other non-perishable items to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Each month we sponsor volunteer days for our employees to inspect, sort, and pack donated products for distribution to homeless shelters, emergency pantries, and soup kitchens. 

Finally, we are thrilled to be a Supporting Partner of the Second Harvest Sort-A-Rama event this September! We look forward to sending a team of 50 Armstrong employees to the Charlotte Convention Center. Sort-A-Rama aims to raise awareness about the mission of the Food Bank while providing companies the opportunity to serve and have a fun team day out of the office!

Attract New Hires

All companies can benefit from hiring top talent. Community involvement and volunteer events are great ways to improve your brand image and differentiate yourself from the competition.

People increasingly want to work for companies that match their values and demonstrate support for social causes that are important to them. This is especially true for millennials and Gen Z employees. Additionally, a company involved in doing social good is likely to be perceived as a better place to work and one that will treat its employees well.

Increase Engagement and Retention

Not only is corporate volunteering a great way to get top talent in the door, but it can also help you retain your existing workforce. The feeling of making a difference in the world and contributing to an important cause fuels passion in employees, increases productivity, and helps cultivate a positive working environment. Effective volunteer programs can empower employees and give them a sense of pride, enhancing engagement. Ideally, this sense of purpose will further connect employees to their employer, improving retention.

Improve Health and Wellbeing

Freight brokers are no strangers to burnout. In an industry that never sleeps, it's not uncommon for logistics professionals to feel high stress levels from the busy workload. Most adults report that volunteering makes them feel both physically and emotionally healthier by reducing stress, decreasing anxiety, and helping to alleviate depression. Improving employee health decreases absenteeism, and when employees feel less burnt out, they can better concentrate on their work. 

Enhance Employee Ties and Build Community Partnerships

Participating in team-building activities, like Second Harvest’s Sort-A-Rama, is a great way to bring employees together for a good cause and make them feel connected, creating a more pleasant working environment. Additionally, creating meaningful change in your community helps promote your business. Treat volunteer activities as networking events and look for beneficial working relationships with other organizations, vendors, or potential clients.

Build Skills and Create Opportunities for Leadership Development

Asking employees to participate in volunteer efforts can help them build skills that enhance their job performance, including communication and collaboration, problem-solving, public speaking, managing teams/projects/budgets, coordinating events, liaising with sponsors, fundraising, and time management. Because volunteer events are a great way to develop leadership skills, they can help you identify high potential employees within your organization.

Take Your Business to New Heights

Establishing a corporate volunteer program is beneficial for everyone involved, from the good it does your community to the way it keeps employees engaged and proud of their organization. That's why about 33 percent of corporations and 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer a volunteer program. Check out our blog for creative ways you and your team can give back this holiday season.

For an agency partnership that offers industry-leading commission splits, technology tailored to you, and all the back office support you need to grow your business even more, reach out to Armstrong.