Fran from Habitat: Ok, let’s get started. We would like to know why you choose to be a sponsor for NW Metro Atlanta Habitat.
Susan from Heidelberg USA: We were approached by Habitat probably seven or eight years ago, at a time when we were looking for a way to give back to the community. Everyone was very welcoming to Heidelberg moving down from New York in 1994. Habitat was perfect for us because we like to combine our giving with volunteerism for our employees. From the time we stepped onto the site, we knew we had a place that we wanted to continue to contribute. The camaraderie among our employees is wonderful. Volunteering with Habitat breaks down silos between departments, which is an issue in virtually every company. At the end of eight weeks, you see what you can really giveback and contribute to a terrific family. Seeing the results is amazing. I would encourage any corporation that’s looking for something meaningful for their employees, as well as something they can be proud of, to consider Habitat.
Fran: How many employees do you think you have had work on these sites over the six years?
Susan: We have probably 50-100 employees who have touched Habitat in some way. It’s not only showing up at the site. Even if they only come 1 day, they regret not being able to come more days. But they might contribute by contributing to a bake sale or they might contribute by helping out just for lunch 1 day. We also have a table outside our board room where we display the homes we help build. Visitors can see it and our employees can see it and it just sparks that thought with anybody who passes the table that WOW we helped do that. So it’s just an amazing yearly thing that’s on everybody’s mind. We also have a lot of expats that come from Germany. And Habitat is not something that is known in Germany. And the fact of giving back in that way is also not something that is done in Germany. Germany has a lot of social programs. Our expats just love coming on the site to help people get a push in life in such a hands-on way.
Fran: Thank you very much.