Here at GreenStone, we strive to represent our Four Core Values; customer first, deliver quality, get involved, and do the right thing. To support our employees in living out these values, a volunteer opportunity was scheduled at the Greater Lansing Food Bank. Multiple employees volunteered their time to feeding the community, including Legal and Legislative Specialist Amanda Arnold and Business Systems Analyst Jeff Maitland.
Amanda has served in many roles during her time at GreenStone, from receptionist to legal and legislative specialist. And beyond the work, when the opportunity to volunteer arose, Amanda knew she wanted to be involved! Being able to volunteer in the community, while also spending time with coworkers, was something she looked forward to doing. While at the food bank, she was grouped into a team that filled backpacks for kids heading out on summer break. Her team consisted of fellow GreenStone employees and former CEO Dave Armstrong.
While volunteering, Amanda was able to spend time with her coworkers that she doesn’t see often. “With my job, I don’t work with a specific team of people. So, to have time to work with people in person while also helping others is a really nice change to my normal day to day routine,” Amanda said. Volunteering helps more than just the community; it helps everyone involved! Volunteers benefit in many different ways while also providing a helping hand to others.
For some employees on the team, this was their first volunteer opportunity since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Jeff Maitland, business systems analyst, enjoyed getting back in person with his fellow employees. Catching up with old friends while also meeting new ones was a huge positive for him.
“Meeting fellow employees and working together to serve others was very rewarding and refreshing. I was also fortunate enough to work alongside our CEO, Dave Armstrong, and the CEO of the Food Bank, Michelle Lantz. We were able to share stories and team up for friendly competition against the other volunteers,” explained Jeff.
This opportunity also provided a learning experience for Amanda. While packing the food, she noticed that they had shelf stable yogurt. As someone with a degree in animal science she was very intrigued by the science behind the yogurt. Dairy products are very hard to donate because of their short shelf life, but this shelf stable yogurt is a game changer for the industry and allows all kids to have access to dairy in their diet.
For Jeff, volunteering at the food bank hit close to home. “As someone who lives in East Lansing, I have been following the food banks social and economic impacts. I went into the event with high expectations and was impressed with their facility and various outreach programs. I appreciate working for a company who sponsors events like this in my community,” said Jeff.
The foodbank has the packing process down to a science which makes it very accessible for all volunteers. Greater Lansing Food bank is always searching for more volunteers! “They have a great team and it’s amazing how organized they are,” Amanda said.
To learn more about how employees embody Greenstone's Core Four Values, visit Open Fields Blog | GreenStone FCS. Together we can be the change we wish to see in our communities by getting involved!
