This week, we’re celebrating the launch of our company-wide program, #AccountingForChange, an employee volunteer initiative where team members across the country are encouraged to take time out of their regular work days to give back to an organization of their choice.
Today, we feature teammates who spent their time donating blood and keeping a community park beautiful.
Volunteer Spotlight: Matt Boronkay
Matt Boronkay (Marketing Analyst) donated blood for the American Red Cross Blood Donation Center.
American Red Cross
This organization is very well known by many. It prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
Matt’s Experience
I’ve been donating blood since I was first able to back in high school. Having received allergy shots as a child, I’ve warded off all fear of shots so now I donate whenever I am eligible! To celebrate the Roger CPA Review #AccountingforChange initiative, I decided to try out donating platelets for the first time, which help cancer patients and patients surviving major surgeries or serious injuries.
Volunteer Spotlight: Toni Williams
Toni Williams (Business Development Manager, Southeast) volunteered with Hands on Atlanta and the Piedmont Park Conservancy to help keep historic Piedmont Park beautiful.
Hands on Atlanta
Their mission is to tackle Greater Atlanta’s most pressing needs by igniting a passion for service and creating lifelong community volunteers. They help individuals, families, corporate, and community groups strengthen Greater Atlanta through service at more than 400 nonprofit organizations and schools.
Toni’s Experience
For those who are not familiar, Piedmont Park is like Atlanta’s Central Park. Little did I know, they rely a lot on volunteers for 90% of the maintenance and upkeep of the park. This opportunity allows volunteers to care for the diverse plant communities and habitats around the park. Projects are based on the current needs of the park. Typical projects include general clean-up of park grounds, planting, weeding, mulching, spreading of pine straw, watering of plants, removal of invasive plant species, seasonal planting, dog park maintenance, painting, graffiti removal, washing golf carts and miscellaneous maintenance and horticulture projects.
On the day that I went to volunteer, we worked on mulching trees. I worked alongside a small group of high school students who kept me entertained as we shoveled mulch, wheelbarrowed it to trees, and laid the much to cover dirt around the base of trees. I was taken aback when a man who walks his dog in the park daily, stopped, gave us his dog and spent some time shoveling mulch for us. The program director said that this isn’t uncommon.
Many times people will stop and thank the volunteers or chip in and help. It was heartwarming to see the appreciation people had for the upkeep of the most visited green space in the city. I love Piedmont Park, as do many other Atlantans and visitors, and I was glad I could do my part in giving back.
Other Articles in This Series
Accounting For Change: San Francisco Marin Food Bank
Accounting For Change: Long Beach Rescue Mission & Arabian Rescue Mission
Accounting For Change: Operation Gratitude & NYC Veterans Day Parade
Accounting For Change: Volunteering With Youth