The SOLution: Volunteering and Community Outreach 2023 Recap
SOLitude’s volunteering and community outreach program, The SOLution, encourages employees to make a difference in the world. This year, our colleagues went above and beyond to give back to their communities through volunteerism and service.
Since the program was launched in 2012, our team members have accumulated 25,381 volunteer hours and donated $550,855 in goods and services. As the program continues to flourish, we hope to make our mark as a company that sincerely cares about the communities we serve.
Volunteering in 2023
In 2023, our colleagues brought in $1,750 of donations and spent 1,043 hours volunteering with various organizations, including:
- Toys for Tots
- Gladious Food Pantry
- Echo Global Farm
- Keep Lee County Beautiful
- Great Smokey Mountains National Park
- Friends of Whitehall
- Cardz for Kidz
- Audio Information Network of Colorado
- Guns n Hoses Pipes n Drums
Along with our colleague’s personal volunteering efforts, teams across the country united to support SOLitude’s annual volunteering events.
Kind SOLs
In 2023, SOLitude launched our new outreach program, Kind SOLs. This program replaced our long-standing Little GOBBLERS program. Kind SOLs is a company-wide food drive that aims to give back to the communities we serve during the holiday season. This year, offices across the country collected non-perishable foods and donated them to local food banks in time for the holidays. To further extend a helping hand, colleagues were also given the opportunity to take time out of their work week to volunteer at local food banks. Check out a few highlights from the Kind SOLs program:
- Virginia Beach, VA: The team made food packets for the local StandUp for Kids chapter, an organization that helps support homeless youth. Our team collected enough food to fill 35-gallon-sized zip-lock bags of food.
- Shrewsbury, MA: The team donated 133 lbs of food to The Worcester County Food Bank.
- Pompano Beach, FL: The team donated food and volunteered at The Pantry of Broward, a food pantry dedicated to feeding local seniors.
Heart & SOL Day
Our 5th annual Heart & SOL Day encouraged colleagues to give back to their communities through service. In 2023, 75 of our team members partnered with 25 local organizations or neighborhoods and accumulated over 319 volunteer hours.
Volunteers of the Quarter
Each quarter, SOLitude recognizes our exceptional colleagues who devote their time to making a difference in their communities. In 2023, SOLitude awarded these outstanding colleagues as Volunteers of the Quarter:
- Eryn Adrian, Aquatic Biologist, CO: Eryn partnered with the Audio Information Network of Colorado to record audio PSA announcements for the visually impaired community to listen to on a state-wide radio broadcast.
- Matthew Drake, Certified Field Trainer, FL: Matthew worked with Guns n Hoses Pipes n Drums of Southwest Florida to assist, join, and organize performances for first responders and the military.
- Raquel Mason, Regional Administrator, FL: Raquel dedicated her time to Cardz for Kidz, creating homemade cards for children who are in hospitals or experiencing other difficult situations.
- David Manch, Operations Manager, MA: David has been the go-to coordinator for our New England Toys for Tots drive for many years, ensuring that kids in the Massachusetts area have gifts at Christmas time.
Heart & SOL Award
This annual award is given to a colleague who goes above and beyond with personal volunteering, inspires others, and has a true commitment and passion for making the world a better place. The recipients of the Heart & SOL Award for 2023 are:
- Emerald (Tier 1) – Matthew Drake, Certified Field Trainer, FL: In 2023, Matthew took charge of his volunteering and logged over 25 volunteer hours. Through Guns n Hoses Pipes n Drums, Drake gives back to the military and first responders in Southwest Florida.
- Bronze (Tier 2) – Collin Brown, Operations Manager, FL: Collin went above and beyond in 2023 to keep his community clean. He regularly volunteered with Keep Lee County Beautiful to clean up local beaches in Lee County, FL.
