 |
The Silent Heroes Among Us |
In 2000, when Trish McCall was asked to team up with fellow associates to develop an alert system for the
"I was working late on nights and on weekends," said McCall, a corporate webmaster for ChoicePoint Inc. "It means everything; bringing a child home to [his or her] parents is such a rewarding feeling."
Seventy-six missing children have been found thanks to what became known as the ADAM project. The project was named for Adam Walsh, whose kidnapping and murder brought the horror of child abduction to national attention two decades ago.
These ChoicePoint employees offer just one example of a legion of silent heroes who provide invaluable volunteer services to nonprofits without leaving their office desks.
"It's false to think that you have to be actively on-site to really accomplish something," said Cecelie Lilletvedt, associate director of corporate relations for Hands On Atlanta. "If the service [provided] is something that the nonprofit has never been able to locate with any other volunteer before, it can add tremendous value and insight from a skill and time perspective."
ADAM uses fax technology to send missing child posters instantly to police, news media, schools, businesses, medical centers and other recipients within a specific geographic search area, such as a state, ZIP code or area code.
"In National Center cases, one in six missing children is recovered because someone saw a child's photo and called authorities," said Ernie Allen, the center's co-founder, president and CEO. "ADAM allows us to enhance those efforts by rapidly distributing photos and missing child data to targeted areas. The program is a key component of our recovery efforts."
Tasks that can be done at work also open up volunteerism to a different set of employees who may wish to devote their weekends to their families, said Tiffany Brott, senior marketing manager for Accenture Ltd., who runs the global management and technology consulting firm's corporate citizenship programs in Atlanta.
Just like on-site volunteerism, behind-the-scenes efforts can help employees improve skills in leadership, team-building and project management, as well as boost morale, Brott said.
One example is the Quality Advisor program, formed in partnership with TechBridge, a nonprofit that links other nonprofits with pro bono or discounted technical assistance. The program provides a way for senior staff to play advisory roles to nonprofits in areas such as project management, information systems development, and information technology consulting and management, Brott said.
In another example, while Katie Jenkins, a financial services consultant, was between projects, she helped the Atlanta Community Toolbank develop a supply chain solution.
"It's just the dynamics of consulting that it goes in waves," Jenkins said. "When you're unstaffed from a project, it can be frustrating, but it was really exciting to get this opportunity where I could pour my energy into this and really make a difference."
Being allowed to do volunteer work on the job also increased her respect for her employer, she said.
"It's uncommon," Jenkins said. "It says a lot about the company and what their values are. It makes you proud to work there."
Doing volunteer activities at work also doesn't have to mean losing the personal touch.
As an e-mentor, Demethria Ramseur, manager, life cycle component for IBM Corp., exchanges weekly e-mails with her student, an eighth-grade woman at
"I think about the life I had and how people came along and helped me," Ramseur said, when asked why she volunteered.
The two also log onto IBM MentorPlace, where they collaborate on activities around topics such as famous inventions and leadership skills.
The Web site, Ramseur said, gives her an easy framework to follow when guiding this young woman.
"I'm able to share with her things I have done to become a leader or to improve my leadership skills," she said.
