Westfield partnered with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank last week to sponsor a volunteer project for employees on its campus. This is the second year nearly 150 employees volunteered for the project, helping sort and bag 15,600 pounds of Ohio-grown apples.
For some employees, because of their role within the organization, it’s difficult to leave the office. They haven’t had the opportunity to engage in volunteer work at the Foodbank, so the Foodbank brought the work to them. A semitrailer filled with apples, sorting bins and scales were set up in a Westfield parking lot. Volunteers from various departments worked one-hour shifts to help sort apples into 5-pound bags.
This volunteer project is a unique opportunity, not only for Westfield employees, but also the Foodbank. The Foodbank doesn’t typically take projects on the road, however, Westfield sponsored the project by purchasing the apples.
“For nearly 10 years, Westfield has been a significant corporate partner of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank,” said Dan Flowers, president and CEO. “We succeed in helping fight hunger within our eight-county service area because of the amazing partnerships we’ve forged with local organizations like Westfield. They support our events, send volunteers to work in the warehouse, make important contributions of monetary funds, and provide leadership for our Board of Directors.”
After visiting the highly successful On Campus Volunteer Day, Rob Bowers, Westfield’s national claims and customer service leader and Foodbank board member, shared, “Westfield is an awesome sponsor of the Foodbank from both our financial matching program, and even more importantly, by facilitating opportunities both on our campus and at the Foodbank for our employees to get involved in real work that helps real people from all over the eight-county region the Foodbank serves. This really underscores our commitment to caring.”
If you’re looking for unique ways to connect with your Foodbank, please contact us at 330.535.6900.