From bottle-fed raccoons to golf tournaments to stage directing, volunteering takes a range of shapes at Corvias
Across the nation, volunteering is in decline. In fact, 2024 saw the lowest rate of formal volunteering in nearly three decades, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps. To appreciate individual volunteers at Corvias and fuel more volunteering across U.S. employers by sharing what works, Corvias Foundation announced its recognition of three team members at Corvias.
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Corvias Operations Director Amber Moser volunteers as a stage director at the annual Oklahoma State Future Farmers of America convention. (Photo: Business Wire)
Corvias Foundation recognizes Kim Beard, Nathan Roberts, and Amber Moser.
- Kim Beard volunteers to rehabilitate wildlife as a permitted rehabilitator in Texas. She works with wildlife rehabilitators and centers to care for animals throughout the year. In fact, she currently cares for six raccoons, six squirrels and a baby deer. The process involves taking the animals into her home, bottle and syringe feeding them, giving them love, connecting them to veterinary treatment as needed, and making sure they have everything they need to thrive. Her goal is to successfully release each animal back into the wild. Kim is an accountant at Corvias, based in Newton, TX.
- Nathan Roberts helped raise money to purchase life-saving AED equipment distributed throughout Geary County, Kansas, by volunteering in many roles for Geary Community Healthcare Foundation’s annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament. Nathan did set up, registration, dinner prep, and clean up for the event that attracted 40 teams. Nathan is an assistant operations director for Corvias Property Management at Fort Riley in Kansas.
- Amber Moser supports middle- and high-school students’ exploration of agricultural education through her volunteerism with Future Farmers of America (FFA), as a path to leadership, personal growth, and future career success in the industry of agriculture. She repeatedly serves as stage director for the Oklahoma State FFA convention. This year was her 29th year at the convention. Amber is the operations director for Corvias Property Management at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
Julie Allen, the executive director of the Corvias Foundation, praised these volunteers saying, “Corvias Foundation recognizes these tremendous contributions. We selected Kim, Nathan, and Amber for recognition because they honor and embody Corvias’ core principle to generously give back to the communities where we live and work.”
Supportive Practices and Pitfalls of Employee Volunteer Programs:
One way Corvias is bucking the national trend of declining volunteerism is to seed the passion for volunteering by making space for it during the workday. A benefit called VTIME provides eight hours of paid time off for employees to use for the purpose of volunteering, annually, in ways that matter to them.
Researchers working with the United Way and Junior League found employee volunteering works well when employees perceive the volunteer experiences as meaningful and feel they can personally contribute in important ways. In contrast, employee volunteering programs often fail because of pitfalls such as mandatory participation in pet projects.
Allen noted, “Across the nation, U.S. workers often want to volunteer, and need corporate volunteering programs that share their values, respect their time, and add a sense of excitement. Corvias employees have tremendous heart – and they also have VTIME to start them on a path of volunteering that leads folks like Kim, Nathan, and Amber to support the causes they love.”
The number one reason people volunteer is because they are asked. The benefits of a company doing the asking – and taking the time to get the ask right – are many. In addition to supporting the communities they serve, studies show volunteer programs boost employee productivity, engagement, hiring, and retention. They become better “citizens at work,” helping coworkers and voicing ideas. And, they experience greater physical and mental well-being and sense of purpose themselves.
Allen underscored the importance of dedicated employees, adding, “Amber, Kim and Nathan are wonderful examples of why we can do such great work in the communities we serve – both for Corvias Foundation as a philanthropy supporting the educational dreams of military-connected students and for Corvias who creates quality living environments as the foundation to building strong communities for these families.”
About Corvias
Corvias partners with the Department of Defense and higher education institutions to solve infrastructure and energy resiliency challenges and to create long-term, sustainable value through our unique Solutions Through Partnerships® approach. Corvias partnerships enhance the well-being in our communities, including at the largest renewable energy project in Kansas and at resiliency projects nationwide. Our more than 72,000 residents consistently highly rank the courtesy and professionalism of our maintenance and leasing personnel. To learn more, please visit: www.corvias.com.
About Corvias Foundation
Corvias Foundation creates educational opportunities for military families. Founded in 2006, we work to increase access to educational opportunities so that our scholars are empowered to pursue their dreams and make a greater impact in service to their communities. We have awarded more than $15 million in scholarships and grants to military-connected students and military spouses to support their education. More than 450 students and military spouses have received a Corvias Foundation scholarship, ranging from $5,000 up to $50,000.
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