Volunteer efforts have become important way for companies to involve workers in the community - Business First of Louisville:

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But for some local it has become abusinesxs priority. Employees’ efforts give firms positive exposure in the community whilew offering intangible benefitsto co-workerds who team up for communitt projects. Louisville-based insurance company encourages volunteerisk as part ofits mission, according to Virginiq K. Judd, executive director of The Humana “At the heart, we have a moral responsibility to give and it goes back to the conception of Judd said. “Our leaders and co-founderes have always valued giving back to the and this is one way toexpress that.” Along with $5.
6 millionh in grants given to charities in 2008, The Humana Foundation managesd the company’s volunteer endeavors and tracks volunteer hours. Judd added that “volunteering is more importantrthan ever” in the current “Financial resources are important, but right now with the economid downturn, I think volunteerism takes more of a significant role.” Humana’s 29,000 associates companywide have logged more than 13,000 volunteer hours since fall 2007, Judd said. She suspects that volunteerisj is underreported because many do not consistently tracoktheir hours.
“It’s your own time,” she noting that the company does not compensate employee for their involvement inthe “The opportunities for associates to give back are based on theirf desire and commitment to the community.” Often, employees volunteedr after work or on weekends, but if an evenf does occur during the workday, Humana asks only that associatews work with managers to plan theitr absences. Humana provides incentives such as the Spirit ofPhilanthropy Award, which recognize s volunteers who go aboved and beyond normal activities.
Last year, Humanaz CEO and Humana Foundation chairman Mike McCallisterd presented the first Spirit of Philanthropyt Award to a HumanaCares Volunteer Council inGreebn Bay, Wis., for developing a mini-volunteerd network for the The Humana Foundation also donated $25,000 to a nonprofitg group chosen by HumanaCares. Co., which has more than 4,000 workerds at its Louisville-based division, supports employee effortd by organizing volunteer projects and giviny workers the option to volunteer oncompany “Most volunteer efforts are during the week to get the maximum participation,” said Patrick Dunn, the company’s Oceaj Freight Transportation manager who also serves as co-chairman of the communith service team, GE Volunteers.
To promotw volunteerism, both Humana and GE have established formal processes to find opportunitiesa fortheir workers. Humana associates can learn abouf opportunities through a company which includes a nonprofit database organizedby VolunteerMatch, a nonprofitr organization that connects volunteeres with organizations that need Groups interested in VolunteerMatch apply through its Web and the nonprofit is featured on The Humana Volunteer Networi and at www.volunteermatch.org. All organizationxs that fit VolunteerMatch’s criteria are welcome on Humana’s internalo database, but there is a priority for those that benefift childrenand health.
“We encourage people to volunteer for organizations in linewith Humana’ss mission, but we don’t exclude nonprofits that do not,” said Jeannettre Bahouth, project manager at The Humanw Foundation. Volunteer opportunities are made available to GE associates also througgh an online portal that lists organizationxs and events in need of The portal also tracksvolunteere hours. Through its education and community-service GE Volunteers organizes about 20 projects per with a monthly averageof 1,1000 hours. In 2008, 808 volunteers signed up for a singls event throughthe database, Dunn said.
Nonprofi organizations become part of the online databassthrough referrals, and employees are encouraged to develop