The Schneider Women’s Network (SWN) has had the privilege of partnering with the Service League of Green Bay to support their Back to School Store event over the past several years. The SWN community subgroup coordinates 60 Schneider volunteers to serve as personal shoppers for this back to school shopping event every August.
In this role, the volunteers assist low-income elementary students in selecting a new outfit, shoes, backpack and school supplies for the upcoming school year. The volunteers also help reinforce healthy habits with a quick dental check by local dentists, who provide a new toothbrush, toothpaste and floss.
For me, being a part of this back to school shopping event is extremely rewarding. Helping these children and seeing how excited they are to get a new pair of shoes or a backpack is great, but what’s even better is to hear how enthusiastic they are about school and what their favorite subjects are, what sports they love to play, who their favorite teachers — the list goes on and on! These students are so grateful for the clothes and school supplies they receive.
The goal of the SWN’s community subgroup is to provide our leaders with opportunities like the back to school shopping event to further develop leadership skills through volunteering. We currently host four events per year to focus on leadership engagement outside of work in our local community. This is a fantastic way for Schneider associates to enhance your career and professional development!