As we enter the New Year, we look forward to new opportunities to continue helping our community.
Before we roll up our sleeves and get to work, we would be remiss if we didn’t recap all the projects we took part in this past year. Our employee volunteers donate their time, energy, and most of all their spirits to building a better community.
Our team is committed to volunteer opportunities and philanthropy supporting the communities where we live, work, and have operations. That commitment is a core value.
Our efforts cover a broad territory and many of our volunteers take part in multiple projects throughout the year.
LOOKING BACK ON 2023
Kicking off 2023, several of our employees volunteered at Opportunity House by serving pizza, salad, and cookies to 150 residents. “We empower individuals to improve their lives. We provide security, stability, safety, and community to our clients,” explains the nearly 40-year-old Berks County nonprofit.
https://opphouse.org/
In April, employees visited Helping Harvest where they packed backpacks for the Weekender Program. This program helps children at risk of food insecurity in the Reading School District. “Helping Harvest collects, purchases, stores, and distributes over nine million pounds of food annually to the more than 350 programs which feed the hungry in Berks and Schuylkill counties.” https://helpingharvest.org/
Also in April, we hosted a donation drive for Mary’s Shelter where employees donated household items like laundry detergent, plasticware, trash bags, and hygiene products. Reading-based Mary’s Shelter “is a multifaceted comprehensive housing and social service agency that addresses pregnancy, parenting and youth homelessness through proactive preventative work, crisis intervention services and stabilization back into the community.” Learn more at https://www.marysshelter.org/.
In May, employees took part in a volunteer event at American Legion Post 626 where they helped mulch and landscape. As the Post’s website notes, https://al626.com/, “The American Legion is the nation’s largest, most influential, effective, and dependable advocate of veteran affairs. Since 1919, Legionnaires have fought for the rights of servicemen and women. Today we stand as 2.4 million members with over 144,000 Legionnaires from The Department of Pennsylvania.”
In June, we once again participated in the annual “The Big Cheese” event where employees and their families joined volunteers from around the community. Our team joined hundreds of other volunteers to package 250,000 meals (macaroni and cheese and apple cinnamon oatmeal) to be distributed by Helping Harvest, the Reading School District, and food pantries throughout Berks County.
The Olivet's Boys and Girls Club was the destination for our activity in July. Here, we worked on a STEM Activity Kit and played outside with the kids. As summarized on the organization’s website, https://www.olivetbgc.org/, “Our programs address the region’s most pressing and immediate youth issues of education support, after school programming, and mentoring – all of which are provided by caring and knowledgeable staff. We adhere to the national initiatives of Boys & Girls Club of America to help young people between the ages of six and eighteen get a healthy start and enter school ready to perform to the best of their ability cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. Our three core areas of programming promote Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Good Character & Citizenship. To reach and serve as many youths as possible, our programs and services are available during non-school hours and during the summer at free or greatly reduced costs.”
In September, we joined the United Way for their annual “Day of Caring” community-wide volunteer event, supporting four local organizations. These included Hawk Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America. Here, we cleaned up sites, landscaped, raked leaves, painted, chopped wood, cleared weeds, cleaned windows, and more. The Council prides itself on “Teaching leadership & values while providing recreational activities for children of all ages.” Learn more at https://hmc-bsa.org/.
At South Mountain YMCA, volunteers took part in splitting wood and camp cleanup. As noted on the website, https://www.smymca.org/, “The Mission of the South Mountain YMCA is to provide a camping experience, educational and other programs that build personal leadership, character and life skills while developing caring, honesty, respect and responsibility in young people, families and communities.”
And at Shady Hallow Assisted Riding, we joined forces with other volunteers to weed flower beds, prune bushes, and wash fences. “Shady Hollow Assisted Riding provides people of all ages and abilities the benefits of experiencing a working farm and interacting with our horses. We offer a supportive equine environment to empower those with physical, social, cognitive and emotional challenges.” Visit https://www.hugahorse.com/ to learn more about this unique 90-acre facility.
Lastly, at PathWays Adult Training, we participated in painting, cleaning, and landscaping at the campus. PathWays is “committed to overcoming obstacles and seeing the individuals we care for achieve more than they ever imagined. Through innovative programs, life long services, and individual attention, we empower people of all ages and abilities to reach their full potential.” Learn more about how PathWays is making a difference in southwestern Pennsylvania at https://yourpathways.org/.
In October, we held a company picnic to kick off our annual United Way campaign. The best part of the picnic? Employees helping to assemble 200 care packages to be distributed to Salvation Army, and Berks Coalition to end Homelessness, to serve the homeless population in greater Berks County.
Towards the middle of the month, we hosted our eighth annual Charity Golf Outing benefitting the United Way of Berks County where we raised over $111,000. This event is a favorite amongst our supporters, many of whom continue to come back as sponsors year after year. “United Way of Berks County helps people in need and addresses critical issues to make our community a better place for everyone. Our efforts are rooted in those fundamental principles, as we bring the right mix of people and organizations together to focus on our community’s health and human service needs and to create lasting changes throughout Berks County.” https://www.uwberks.org/
During the month of November, members of our team painted two rooms in the Veteran’s Coalition of Pennsylvania or “VCOP” Neil Kauffman Transition Veterans Home. As noted on their website, https://www.teamvcop.org/#, “The VCOP mission is to perpetuate a collaborative initiative engaged in helping Veterans and their families by partnering with local, state and federal agencies and organizations to assist with reintegration, career development, mentoring, housing and other necessities of life outside the military.”
Additionally in November, we organized a drive benefiting the Salvation Army’s “Adopt a Family” Thanksgiving program. Collecting and donating nearly 100 pounds of Thanksgiving foods for local families. “Whether it's embracing the homeless, uplifting the abused or abandoned, training and mentoring the disadvantaged, providing character building programs for youth, or assisting the displaced or elderly, The Salvation Army's goal remains the same: serving the most people, meeting the most needs, DOING THE MOST GOOD!” https://pa.salvationarmy.org/Reading/Home
As December approached, our team participated in several activities to help those in need in our community prepare for the holidays. This year marked our 14th consecutive year participating in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program. You can read more about this in our recent blog post https://blog.ugies.com/giving-back-this-holiday-season-supporting-the-salvation-army.
Employees throughout the regions we serve also donated their time and energy to local charities in a variety of ways. And once again, we participated in the Wreaths Across America program at various locations, laying wreaths at the gravesites of fallen military service members. Visit https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ to learn more about Wreaths Across America and its mission: “Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom.”
Wow, what a year! While 2023 was surely one for the books, we only hope to top it in 2024.
It’s amazing how hard work, camaraderie, and a common goal can unite a community. We are beyond thankful for the opportunities to get involved in the places we love and call home.
This year, let’s continue to band together and make a difference. Be sure to check out your local organizations for volunteer opportunities in your area. Here’s to a productive 2024!
