Benefits delivery innovator, Hodges-Mace, LLC, announces the success of Summer of Service 2018 with a higher level of employee participation before and during the initiative.  Throughout the month of June, Hodges-Mace employees donated 604 hours to 12 local charities, compared to last year’s 559 hours.

Now in its third year, Hodges-Mace’s Summer of Service program provides an opportunity for employees to volunteer in a group setting and serve those less fortunate.  Summer of Service serves an incredible need in the local community.  At the same time, it builds camaraderie among employees, which builds trust and teamwork. Every year employees are given paid time off to fulfill their service commitment. 

The initiative is coordinated by Hodges-Mace Executive Assistant, Kristina Charnecki. In April, Kristina begins the planning phase of Summer of Service wherein she evaluates and determines which charities employees will serve in different locations throughout the city.  In May, she sends employees the list of options and asks for volunteer team captains to lead each project.  During the month of June employees go out into the field to volunteer their time.

“In Q1 of this year I received tremendous input from employees during the planning stage of Summer of Service regarding new charities and projects to consider. It was amazing how passionate folks were about charitable organizations where they were drawn to serve,” said Kristina.

This year employees donated time to 15 projects at 12 local charities including:
 
Action Ministries (Smart Lunch Smart Kid)

Atlanta Community Food Bank

Bobby Dodd Institute - Mock Interviews

Camp Twin Lakes

Children's Restoration Network - Nicholas House (Summer Camp)

Children's Restoration Network - Elks Aidmore

Children's Restoration Network - Nicholas House (Landscaping Project)

Fill Ministries - Meals by Grace

Green Team - Pitch in for Piedmont Park

Lifeline Animal Project  

Lift Up Atlanta

Meals On Wheels - Adult Day Health Center / Meal Prep

Meals On Wheels - Meal Delivery

PAWS Atlanta
 
In addition to time served, employees collected items for several charities who expressed needs.  At Fill Ministries, Brett Meager, VP of Client Services for Hodges-Mace, headed a drive to collect 1000 personal items and toiletries that were donated to the pantry. For Children’s Restoration Network – Elks Aidmore, employees donated beach towels, sunglasses, flip flops, and water bottles for the girls.  Volunteers for Children's Restoration Network - Nicholas House (Summer Camp) collected money to purchase board games for the children to play. At Action Ministries, in addition to making sandwiches for the students, employees also made lunches for the parents.
 
“Every year, the number of employees who choose to volunteer their time to needy organizations continues to increase. This is especially heartwarming, given the fact that our business is booming and employees are working longer and harder to serve our growing client base,” notes CHRO Suzanne Hough. “The consistent growth in Summer of Service participation clearly shows Hodges-Mace employees embrace our corporate culture and mission to give back to the community.”
 
Hodges-Mace values serving the local community and encourages volunteerism through projects like Summer of Service. In addition, each year Hodges-Mace offers two days of paid time off to employees to volunteer at a charity of their choosing.