Stories

“Volunteering is the ultimate expression of community spirit.” – Colin Powell

A corporate representative from Ally was working with an employee group that was scheduled to host a team meeting in Detroit. Their goal was to add a group volunteer activity to their team experience, an effort where they could bond, serve and make an impact in the community.  The representative after searching the internet, reached out to Karen Boyd, Volunteer Specialist, to see if any recommendations could be made for their group of 28 employees coming in from around the country, to serve on their meeting day with a two-hour project. 

Boyd frequently encourages SHARE partner nonprofits to add one or more group volunteer opportunities to their profile for this exact reason.  “Navigating the Share Detroit platform, I was able to quickly filter for options that could meet this request”, says Boyd.  “We responded offering a list of seven nonprofit organizations that identified the need for group support during that timeframe just three weeks away.”  Our staff provided details on Share Detroit, educating Ally’s representative on how the platform works and inquired to find out what types of opportunities would work for this team of professionals. 

“Our first recommendation was a match for this Ally team.  We contacted Green Living Science to let them know of the interest and set up the group to volunteer,” says Boyd.  Green Living Science had plans to renovate the Lincoln Street Art Park area and update their Activi-Tree Shipping container classroom.  

They were excited to add Ally as a third group to their effort to landscape, plant trees and flower beds as part of this project. This is the second of four well-planned work days before a grand opening celebration of the Lincoln Street Art Park - made possible through a successful crowdfunding campaign and an MEDC community places, public spaces grant. Community partners that supported that campaign include the Gilbert Family Foundation and Mercedes Benz Financial Services.