Office Depot has launched a new volunteer initiative, described by the retailer as “associate-driven philanthropy.”
The scheme, ‘Depot Days of Service’, will run from now until the 5th of May across North America, and will see the company partner with a range of organisations on a variety of service projects.
In South Florida, these include the planting of 11,000 plants in Pompano Beach to restore sea dunes, alongside the Youth Environmental Alliance; preparing meals for deserving youth in Boca Raton, in association with Place of Hope; building homes for deserving families in West Palm Beach, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build programme; donating more than 10,000 books to the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County; and revitalising a local elementary school in Delray Beach.
In other locations across North America, Office Depot volunteers will assist in the sorting, packing, and shipping of food donated to local charities in Charlotte, North Carolina; refresh local schools with both Hands On Atlanta and Keep Austin Beautiful in Georgia and Texas; beautify local parks and forms in Chicago and San Francisco; and help the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia to transform their clubhouse with new paint and landscaping, in Germantown, Pennsylvania.
“At Office Depot, we’re committed to supporting the communities in which we live and do business through philanthropic giving and robust employee volunteerism,” said Jerri DeVard, Office Depot’s Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. “We’re excited to kick off our first annual Depot Days of Service in eight of our largest employment markets throughout North America.” “We expect nearly 2,000 Office Depot associates, friends and family members to come together over the next week to volunteer in support of worthwhile service projects in their local communities,” DeVard added.
The company plans to extend the reach of the programme next year, so that all employees and associates will have the chance to partake and contribute to their local communities.
