In Kindness

When employees of SunTrust Banks served on advisory councils for the United Way of Charlotte County this year, they saw firsthand how much area nonprofits depend on the kindness of others. "Their eyes were opened so wide about what the needs truly are," says Steven Vito, Southwest Florida business banking manager and Charlotte County president for SunTrust. "You're kind of removed from it unless you're involved in it." For SunTrust, it's important that employees are actively helping worthy causes. That's also true of many other local businesses.

The help can come in the form of monetary donations, and there's no question that nonprofits depend on such generous gifts from individuals and corporations. But even smaller companies that can't afford to contribute cash can still find plenty of ways to help those in need, from volunteering to donating supplies and services. "All nonprofits depend heavily on volunteers, or else they wouldn't be nonprofits," says Cecy Cowger Glenn, CEO of the United Way of Charlotte County. "All are governed by volunteer boards of directors. And the delivery of services in most cases is done by volunteers."

Here are a few of the many ways local businesses can help without pulling out the checkbook.

High Achievers

Today's students may be well versed in English, biology and history, but they often don't learn vital practical skills such as formulating a budget or balancing a checkbook. Junior Achievement strives to change that through financial-education programs aimed at students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

"What we're actually teaching them is the economics of life," says Victoria Stephan, president of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida Inc. "We're teaching them how to live productively, how to have skills to take control of their lives and to make choices. By doing that, we're building self-esteem and opening doors for them for the future."

Those lessons come from Junior Achievement volunteers, who go into classrooms and share what they know with the kids. "Our main focus is to recruit that professional businessperson who lives, eats and breathes the business life," says Stephan. "And then they go into the classroom and make our lessons come alive. They can give their practical, everyday experience because they are the experts."

Bob Bassett, area president of Colonial Bank, has been involved with Junior Achievement for years and now serves as a member and past chairman of the Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida board. He encourages other Colonial Bank employees to get involved with J.A. and makes it a point to recognize those who do.

"Our company certainly promotes the education of children," he says. "Our children are our future, and what we can do now to educate them really goes a long way to defining what we are in the future. So we invite our employees to become [Junior Achievement] teachers. We give them time off to spend an hour a week to get in a classroom and go do that."

Not only is Colonial Bank helping the children of Southwest Florida, it is also fostering a positive work environment at the bank, one in which employees can feel good about their impact on the community. And doing good deeds certainly doesn't hurt the company's image.

Home Bodies

With rising real estate prices, the need for an organization like Habitat for Humanity is perhaps greater than ever here in Southwest Florida. But in order to offer quality, affordable housing to residents in need, Habitat relies on contributions of all kinds from local citizens.

There are a number of ways local businesses can support Habitat. In Charlotte County, for example, the Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity ReSale Store sells fixtures, fittings and construction materials donated by homebuilders or salvaged from homes undergoing renovations. Profits from those sales support future Habitat projects.

Volunteers are always needed to man the store or serve on various Habitat committees. But according to Claudia Kohrt, volunteer coordinator for Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity, businesses are most often interested in participating in a group-build project, rounding up employees to get out on a Saturday, pick up some tools, perhaps, and help build a wall or install a roof.

The Port Charlotte Home Depot recently had 14 employees participate in a Habitat project. "Habitat is a wonderful community project, and we wanted to be a part of it," says Karlene Service, human resource supervisor for the store.

Service says that Home Depot strives to do a volunteer project each quarter and is always looking for new ways to help the community. Getting involved with such organizations as Habitat "gives employees a sense of pride in the community," she says. "We're actually getting our hands dirty and making it happen for these organizations."

SunTrust Banks has also provided volunteers for Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity and used the experience as a team-building exercise. "When you volunteer with people, you really get to know the person," says SunTrust's Steven Vito. "[In the workplace] you don't really get that same level of intimacy that you do when you're not on the clock."

SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has offered advice and training to more than 7.3 million small businesses across the country. While many SCORE volunteers are retired businesspeople, the nonprofit also gets a hand from local businesses, which provide office space, equipment and speakers for various monthly workshops.

According to Gregory S. Nelson, vice chairman of SCORE Naples, the need for volunteers and other assistance always exists. "The Naples chapter of SCORE needs more volunteers, particularly those who can contribute year-round, as many of our volunteers go up north for the summers," he says. "We particularly need volunteers who can counsel clients in areas such as technology. As the Hispanic market is growing rapidly in Collier County, we also can use bilingual help, as we would like to expand our Hispanic programs and teach workshops in both English and Spanish."

Lisa Absher, creative director and president of Bonita Springs-based Absher Design Group, has spoken at some of the SCORE Naples workshops on marketing and advertising. She believes that supporting small and emerging businesses helps create a stronger business community overall, which in turn benefits her own company. And her participation in SCORE workshops helps introduce other business owners to her firm. Because of that, those businesses might turn to Absher for marketing and advertising services.

Absher also donates her time to various arts-related organizations, and she encourages her employees to volunteer as well. "I feel like you can't just take, you have to give back," she says.

Because she's a small-business owner herself, Absher often can't afford to make large financial contributions to organizations she wants to support. That's why volunteering is such an appealing option. "I think that everybody can give some time," she says.

GulfShore Technologies, a Naples-based provider of business and technology services, has also provided speakers for SCORE Naples workshops. "We think it's important to be helping people who are wanting to start a business to learn how the Internet and computers can assist them in that," says Jamie Cain, the company's chief strategic officer. "Over the course of time, we've gotten a few leads [from our involvement with SCORE], but then it's up to us to sell them. But really what it does get us is a better-educated group of individuals, so that when people are looking for a Web page, whether they go to us or anybody else, they know more about it."

Caring Builders

Founded in 2005, Builders Care is a charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association and provides no-cost emergency repairs and renovation services to elderly, disabled and economically challenged homeowners. So far this year, the organization has repaired the Hurricane Charley-damaged home of a disabled Pine Island man and added safety features and updates to the home of a North Fort Myers widow who is hearing-impaired and dependent upon a walker. Builders Care aims to complete another project before the end of 2006 and has a goal of doing one major project a month in 2007.

"Builders Care helps people who otherwise do not have the resources and are going to not get these things done," says Wayne Morosco, the nonprofit's executive director. "Any work we do for people is significant. It changes their lifestyle, gives them more independence. Simply widening a doorway for someone with a walker will greatly increase the person's mobility and safety."

Local companies can contribute to Builders Care in a variety of ways, from sponsoring projects to donating office supplies or building materials. Volunteers are also needed to work on projects; no prior construction experience is required. Although many homebuilders and building-industry subcontractors do donate their services for the projects, people are also needed for such tasks as painting walls or helping to clean up homes and yards before work begins.

"What we find is that in helping others, other people are blessed," says Morosco. "It's a positive experience for everybody involved and makes the community a better place, because people's lives are safer and people are happier."