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The
BVC is a group of companies whose members work
year-round to help children and families with some very
big issues like hunger, literacy, education and
well-being.
The
BVC is 35,000 employee volunteers strong. Its members
generated and distributed $600,000 in resources in just
five years.
Increasing evidence*
demonstrates that doing is good about a lot more than
just feeling good – it can produce a real return on
corporate investment by:
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Boosting employee morale,
which can lead to greater company loyalty
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Attracting qualified employees – company
support for volunteer involvement provides an
additional incentive for strong candidates to accept
job offers
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Developing employee skills –
participation in volunteer activities helps
employees develop new skills and leverage their
current skills in addressing community needs
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Enhancing company image within the community,
which can help to build the brand and differentiate
a company from its competition
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Increasing reputation among investors and consumers
as a responsible corporate citizen.
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*
MEASURING EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS; POINTS OF LIGHT FOUNDATION AND THE CENTER FOR CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP AT
BOSTON COLLEGE; 2005 |
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BOOKS IN A BAG
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Children who can’t read, can’t succeed. A home
environment rich in books and inhabited by people who
love to read is an early indicator for a child’s future
success in the classroom and life.
Often, children in low-income families grow up without
books because food and shelter are the main priority. As
a result, many start school behind–and stay behind.
The BVC partners with Head Start, a federally-funded
early childhood education program for low-income
families to make sure that pre-school children get a
chance to succeed in reading.
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The BVC has given more
than 5,000 children five brand-new, age-appropriate
books to take home and keep. Employee volunteers collect,
sort, bag and deliver the books and often remain in the
classroom to read to the children.
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TOOLS FOR
SCHOOL
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It’s difficult to learn anything without the proper
gear. It’s even harder to learn if you’re worried about
being different from everyone else.
Children in low-income families want to do what
everyone else does at school: learn. Yet many come from
families whose resources don’t stretch far enough to
provide school supplies.
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Every August, the BVC
coordinates a back-to-school supply drive, then works
with our partner agencies to deliver what’s collected to
children throughout the state. The BVC has distributed
almost $110,000 in school supplies and it’s more than
just pencils – everything from backpacks to binders and
composition books to calculators.
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JUST MY
BAG
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More than 2,500 abused and neglected children, removed
from their home during crisis situations, have walked
into their new foster home carrying their heads high
and something else – their very own backpack filled to
the brim with basics like socks and underwear,
toiletries and gift items. These bags provide more than
just “stuff” and a bag to carry it in – they provide a
symbolic gesture that says someone, somewhere cared
enough to shop and put the bag together just
for them. The bag spells hope for the future.
The BVC partners with Youth Consultation Service (YCS)
to provide hope to New Jersey’s 11,000 foster children
who have been removed from their birth families because
of abuse or neglect. YCS is one of the largest providers
of services to children and families in the state,
supplying education, shelter, advocacy and care
for children in need. |
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BROWN BAG BUDDIES
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Hunger doesn’t take a vacation - but kids in school do. In
fact, summer recess is an extremely difficult time for
low-income families because free or reduced cost school
breakfast and lunch programs take a vacation, too.
The BVC organizes an annual summer food drive to ease
the burden on these families and ensure that food pantry
shelves are filled with nutritious, “kid-friendly” foods
like cereal, peanut butter and jelly, canned meats,
macaroni and cheese, water and 100% juice. We partner
with Center for Food Action
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and other
food pantries throughout the state to distribute food
and grocery store gift certificates – worth almost
$130,000 to date.
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HERE’S
WHAT BVC MEMBERS VALUE ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE
ORGANIZATION:
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Turnkey, easy-to-implement
projects:
each of the four
strategic initiatives is
supported
by an
organizational/internal
marketing packet which
includes step-by-step
instructions for planning and
implementing the project.
Additional options,
including
several hands-on volunteer
opportunities,
are included for
companies that wish to
expand their
involvement in
related community projects.
Networking opportunities:
At
monthly meetings, BVC
members share best
practices
in corporate community
involvement,
problem-solve
around challenges in
employee
volunteer
management and work
together to
advance the goals of the BVC.
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Positioning:
Members are positioned as community leaders and good
corporate citizens through regular media communications
and award programs.
Information:
BVC members receive information on a wide variety of
options for additional community involvement
including local and national initiatives, group
volunteer projects, opportunities for individual
volunteer engagement and calls to action for
critical, emergency needs.
Strategic focus on children and
families: The BVC’s strategic plan is revised annually to
reflect changes in BVC membership and community needs,
but our focus is always on meeting the needs of
low-income children and families. |
No matter the size of your company, the BVC provides you
with the tools to succeed in community involvement. If
your company is ready to team up with other business
leaders in meeting community needs, then
IT'S EASY TO JOIN THE BVC:
E-MAIL
bvc@bergenvolunteers.org
CALL
201-489-9454 |
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GOOD BUSINESS AWARDS
Doing good shouldn't be a secret. Every May, the BVC presents
Good Business Awards to recognize companies for excellence incorporate citizenship. Entries - judged by an independent panel
of corporate, non - profit and community leaders - reflect the
wide range of projects, partnerships and programs implemented by
good corporate neighbors throughout the state.
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"It's
not just our kids
who love Books in a
Bag - it's the whole
family. Everyone
practices reading
together
and
connects in this
shared activity."
- NANCY GRINER,
BERGEN COUNTY HEAD START |
"There's nothing 'just'
about the
Just
My
Bag program.
Our
foster parents just
can't say 'thank you'
enough, and for our
foster children, the
bags become their
treasure."
-
KIM GARFINKLE
YCS FOSTER CARE PROGRAM |
"When
those
wonderful bags of
food arrive our fears
and those of
our
families subside. No
more worrying about
the choice of
paying
rent or going
hungry!"
- BEA O'ROURKE
CENTER FOR FOOD ACTION |
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