The Power of Philanthropy – Part Two

At this writing, Hurricane Florence is approaching the Carolinas as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane. BluSky is massively deploying and staging now so we are in position to help hundreds of our customers in the storm’s path. As I reflect on the Power of Philanthropy, this writer can’t help but pray for the safe-keeping of our deploying teams, other first-responders and millions of Carolinians facing Florence. If you are able, consider a gift to reputable charities that will be working to restore the lives those adversely affected.

THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY

Next Friday, Sept. 21, BluSky’s Denver office will hold its annual Clays for Kids sporting clays event. BluSky has been hosting this tournament to raise funds for children and family-related nonprofit organizations across the country for 15 years, raising more than $600,000 over that period.

Proceeds from this year’s tournament will go to Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver whose mission is to empower every Club member, through safe and impactful experiences, to: graduate high school with a plan for college or career, contribute to their community and live a healthy life.

As part of our series on the Power of Philanthropy, BluSky is featuring our customers where they share their own views on corporate philanthropy by answering three questions. This quarter’s blog features Blue Ridge Companies.

Greensboro, North Carolina-based Blue Ridge Companies

1. As a company, which nonprofit(s) does your firm support and why?

At Blue Ridge Companies we support a variety of nonprofits as we try to make sure to share the love. Although we have two organizations that we continue to focus on a year over year basis. We partner every summer with Second Harvest Food Bank in partnership with the Piedmont Triad Apartment Association’s Food Drive.

We also partner every holiday season with Toys for Tots. We do this through a companywide toy drive where our vendors, residents, and employees all get involved to make an impact on our community. These are two nonprofit organizations that we have partnered with for numerous years as they fit very well with our purpose as a company.

2. Why do you feel it is important for a company and its employees to give back to the communities where they live and work?

It’s important to give back and encourage your employees to give back because it’s the right thing to do. Whether it is monetarily or volunteering time, it all goes a long way. For Blue Ridge, we encourage employees to get involved in their communities as it shows that we care as an organization. It also shows our residents that we care about what goes on within their community.

Our company’s agreed upon vision is: A right-sized organization with a clear dashboard for success – living our purpose as a company that is recognized and valued as a great business and community partner with a strong, vital, philanthropic foundation; with celebration of being a successful, high integrity, innovative, strategically focused, intentionally driven enterprise touching the lives of many.

Giving back is part of our culture and our employees learn that on Day One.

3. Would you share a brief moving story where your firm’s philanthropic activity truly made a difference in a group or individual’s life?

Blue Ridge Companies has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank and the Piedmont Triad Apartment Association’s Food Drive for 15 consecutive years. When we started partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank, it truly began as a summer-only initiative. The summer was and still is the largest need for the food bank since children are out of school.

In 2016 we contributed 22,678 meals and 2017 we contributed 40,205 meals to Second Harvest Food Bank through monetary, sponsorships and cans collected. Over the course of the past year, we found the importance of not only providing meals for those in need but also donating our time to the organization.

Last year we had three different volunteer opportunities for our local employees to donate two to four hours of time volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank. We packed pounds and pounds of food in boxes that the food bank distributed to organizations throughout Northwest North Carolina.

In March of this year we brought along one of our corporate partners, the NBA G-League Greensboro Swarm basketball team and staff to volunteer alongside us packing boxes as well. This is something important to us, so we wanted to share it with one of our partner organizations.

This, my dear friends, is the power of philanthropy.

Until next time.