Schneider Volunteer Fair empowers associates, supports charity

A patented Northeast Wisconsin blend of snow and slush tried its best to put a damper on the Schneider Volunteer Fair this past spring, but weather couldn’t keep 30 not-for-profit organizations or hundreds of Schneider associates away from making lasting connections.

The Volunteer Fair is a prime example of how Schneider takes an active role in the community, bringing organizations directly to our headquarters to help our associates easily find ways to give back.

How the Volunteer Fair came together

These organizations were on site to share their missions and discuss the many ways our associates could get involved through volunteering.

Joe Langer and I worked with the Executive Director and the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Volunteer Center of Brown County to make sure each group shared the Schneider Foundation’s priorities on supporting arts and culture, children, education or health and human services.

Standing room only at Volunteer Fair

About 10 minutes before the fair officially opened, three associates were already in the lines talking with our visitors. We ended up seeing hundreds of Green Bay associates come through on their lunch breaks to meet with the visiting organizations. At times it was standing room only!

The organizations were all very excited to learn about Schneider’s Dollars for Doers program (where Schneider makes a $250 donation on behalf of any associate who volunteers 50 hours or more), but collectively stressed the biggest resource often needed is people’s time.

Check out the full list of participating agencies , including brief descriptions and websites for each.

Reflecting on Volunteer Fair impact

We received feedback that almost all the groups would attend another fair at Schneider and that most had made several good connections with our associates. We were told Schneider is a very friendly and welcoming environment and that even if our people didn’t sign up, they were great to talk with.

Volunteering is the act of humbling ourselves and donating our time. When we do this, we are putting someone else’s needs above our own. Whether that means assisting a not-for-profit organization or helping our neighbors shovel the slush, when we volunteer, we give others the gift of our best selves.

When we volunteer, much like when we come to work at Schneider, we become a part of something greater than ourselves while working collectively toward a common goal. We should all be proud to work for an organization that gives us the opportunity to do both.