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United Way Blog

Impacting Communities through Employee Volunteerism

How do you measure the impact of giving back?

For John Deere employees, it comes in the form of bright eyes and big smiles. An integral part of their organizational identity, employee volunteerism has long been a driver of the 180-year-old company.

Last August, summer gave way to a season of giving as 40 employees in Tarnowo Podgórne, Poland, supported United Way Poland’s “First Bell” program, which gives children and youth in need the supplies necessary to start the school year off on the right foot. In all, 500 children in the community were set up for success.

The giving continued months later as 300 employees from Zweibrücken, Kaiserslautern, Bruchsal and Mannheim, Germany, applied their passion toward a new purpose—ending hunger. Although Germany is considered a wealthy country, one in seven people live below the poverty line. Spanning four “Day of Caring” events across the country, employees packed 6,400 food bags containing more than 28 tons of food for local food banks. That’s enough to feed 56,000 people!

Meanwhile, in France, employees mentored unemployed youth to set them on a path toward higher education. And in Spain, John Deere employees hosted a career fair to afford teachers and tutors new opportunities to inspire their children. According to one of the school’s tutors, the event was a “great opportunity for the students to have a glimpse at the future they could enjoy if they work at it.”

These are just a few examples of what is possible when United Way and its partners come together in support of community betterment. How are you giving back in your community? Share you story so that others may learn and grow from them.