Verve, a Credit Union, wrapped up its annual summit on Monday, October 10, with a call to action. After a day of connection, celebration, and rallying around its overall purpose as an institution, the credit union set aside time for all team members to donate two hours of volunteer service in their local communities. They called it Serve with Verve.
“If you look up the definition of verve, it means vigor, spirit, and enthusiasm,” said Kevin J. Ralofsky, president and CEO of Verve, a Credit Union. “That’s the energy we wanted to bring to local organizations during our outreach event this year, and certainly the energy we strive to bring to the more than 350 outreach events we participate in annually. At Verve, we like to say we are given the challenge and privilege to lead, and a huge part of that is simply rolling up our sleeves and helping where we can.”
Team members volunteered with local organizations, assisting with tasks specific to each organization’s needs and requests. Tasks ranged from assembling fleece blankets for local foster care agencies, cleaning up the grounds of senior care facilities, creating a wood chipped trail in a dog park, sorting donations and stocking shelves, and hand washing antique military vehicles, to graveling campsites, organizing storage areas, decorating a zoo for Halloween, and prepping a community garden for the winter months. With more than 300 employees volunteering two hours of service each, Verve was able to donate over 600 combined service hours to local communities and organizations.
“Our team does an incredible job contributing to the common good all year long,” said Karrie Drobnick, chief operating officer at Verve, “but last week was about coming together as one team to make a big impact. It’s truly the day we look forward to most because we spend the morning recentering our values and then spend the afternoon putting those values into practice. Outreach to us is so much more than sending a check. It’s about contributing and connecting with others, and it’s fun to be reminded how joyful and rejuvenating a day like last Monday can be. Especially when times are tough, we want to inspire others to practice abundance by giving back.”
Verve’s summit event also included an aspect of charitable giving. Team members participated in a basket raffle to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs in the areas they serve: Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Fox Valley, Greater La Crosse, and Chicago. Different teams prepared funny, creative, and over-the-top themed baskets for team members to bid on, ranging from Taste of Italy to The Office, Fall into Coziness to Doggy Dog World, and Wellbeing for the Mind and Body to Cash Cake. Winners went home with their basket of goodies, and local chapters of the Boys & Girls Club went home with a $3,841 donation from Verve.
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