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For the last four years Center member CA, Inc. has sponsored CA Together in Action (CTA), a month-long program to support non-profit organizations around the world. Launched in 2006 as a two-week event, the program expanded to a month to allow as many employees as possible to participate. 
Center staff join Timberland’s 12th annual Serv-a-palooza
While some days I get a headache or my legs grow stiff from sitting too long, I’m not usually sore after a long day at work. But after the Center staff volunteered alongside Timberland employees and stakeholders at their 12th annual Serv-a-palooza, I was aching for days.
The tasks we completed varied from planting trees to building picnic tables, installing insulation, clearing a trail and completely revamping the front façade, garden and patio of the Seacoast YMCA in Portsmouth, N.H. We worked alongside our contacts at Timberland, as well as many of their other stakeholders. We met the local City Year volunteers who got the morning off to an energetic start by chanting, stomping and shouting in their bright red jackets. Employees from Home Depot, Bank of America and the local YMCA also participated in the day’s events.
Not only did we do good things that day, we also got to learn a bit more about each other. Tim Wilson, the Center’s writer/editor, is mighty with his pen, but we learned that he’s also pretty mighty with a shovel. Karen O’Malley, program manager of our Executive Education department, isn’t known for doing much lawn and garden work at home, but she threw around dirt like she’s been doing it for years. And Susan Fonseca, director of administration and finance, attacked our trail-blazing task with the same vigor and intensity that she tackles issues that arise as the center. We all laughed, ate a few too many homemade cookies and learned just a little bit more each other. The phone wasn’t ringing, emails weren’t inundating, and my head wasn’t hurting. It was one of the best days of work I’ve had in a while.
We also learned Timberland takes it commitment to CSR seriously. While it’s common knowledge that they are leaders in this field and have been since the Swartz family started the company 50-plus years ago, Timberland is now venturing into the social engagement movement. Earthkeeper.com, a social media platform, encourages customers and stakeholders to live out their values and beliefs. While one-off volunteer projects are great for employee engagement and morale, the Earthkeepers platform provides tools, opportunities and inspiration for participants to change the way they interact with the world. Serv-a-palooza is only one part of the picture. The Earthkeepers movement really connects the community involvement initiatives with the corporations’ citizenship mission.
Engagement, whether it’s getting your employees out from behind their desks and into the community or finding innovative ways to connect them with the core values of the company, is the actualization and result of a successfully integrated community involvement and corporate citizenship plan. I can speak for the Center staff when I say we all enjoyed our day with Timberland. Hopefully you’ll know who to call when you need a few extra helping hands.
