Corporate Cares: Creating Community Connections One Cause at a Time

Amy Nowak, aPHR, CCUFC, Human Resources Generalist
November 2024

Corporate Central’s business strategy is people centered. We encourage employees to become involved in their communities, lending their voluntary support to programs that positively impact the quality of life within their communities. Our employees have paid volunteer time off (VTO), which provides the opportunity to volunteer with any 501(c)(3) organization of their choice during or after the workday.

The Corporate Cares Program

One exciting way we empower our team to get involved is through our Corporate Cares Program. Each month, a volunteer event is scheduled internally and a call for volunteers goes out.

Corporate Central Volunteers Throughout the Community in 2024

Throughout the year, Corporate Central employees have volunteered at many worthwhile causes. Each event typically has between six to ten employee volunteers. Over half of our Wisconsin employees have volunteered at least once this year.

• At the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Wakesha County (HAWS), we stuffed bags for their food pantry and made cozy blankets for the dogs that traveled to Wisconsin after Hurricane Helene. The experience offered the bonus of meeting and playing with some of the special animals.
• Our team helped sort and set up the Free Clothing Store at the Hope Center in Waukesha, WI. The Hope Center helps many individuals in need stay warm and fed. This store ensures that neighbors have what they need. While volunteering, our team noticed that the store was short on men’s clothing, so we held a Corporate Cares Clothing Drive for them. To wrap up the experience, we made a delicious breakfast for the center to enjoy.
• We volunteered at two Reality Check Days at UW-Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Public School’s Reality Check Days are 90-minute interactive simulations of what life is like once students leave the classroom and experience the budget considerations of the real world. Students go through life’s most important stages and experience financial gains and losses using the Bite of Reality mobile app. Our team agreed that it was a wonderful experience and loved seeing the “aha” moments on the students’ faces when they understood how many budgeting choices they must make with a finite income.
• Corporate Central began working with the Muskego High School Connect program. Students in the program choose what kind of job they would like to have in the future. They then create a resume. Once their resume is completed, they are tasked with connecting with me in Human Resources and setting up time for a mock interview. The student goes through the interview process and then is given constructive feedback on their interview and resume.

More Charitable Events

In addition to the many in-person volunteer events that we do, Corporate Central also has donation drives to help charities we care about. This year, we collected items for Christmas with the Vets and Addie's Angels on Earth. Because items could be ordered online, our remote employees were able to help us in these efforts. We had a high participation rate for both events.

This year, Corporate Central organized and hosted the first annual Tunnel to Towers Walk/Run in Muskego, WI. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is an amazing charity that is committed to ensuring we never forget 9/11, the sacrifices made, and those that continue to be made by our first responders in the line of duty. Tunnel to Towers aims to pay off the mortgages of fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty, or to 9/11 related illness, and leave behind young children. The Foundation’s goal is to ensure stability and security for these families facing sudden, tragic loss.

Why Volunteering Matters

Organizing volunteer events for Corporate Cares is so important to me because of the personal growth and development it offers. Engaging in volunteer activities allows me to step out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and learn new skills. In addition, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride when I am done for the day, and I know that I made a difference in the life of someone.

Together, we can achieve remarkable things. We are people helping people.