As part of the the Alcoa month of service in October, several Alcoa team members teamed up with FarmCorps for a fun day of volunteering at Round Hill Farm.
Volunteers assisted Bryan Ritti of FarmCorps with the winterizing of the farm to ensure a successful 2011 crop.
Alcoa Site Coordinator Seth Kilzer noted that the Alcoa volunteers said that the event was one of the best volunteer events they’ve ever been a part of.
The Alcoa volunteers were happy to spread the word about their experience and gave praise to the mission of FarmCorps:
From Jason Began, Global Sourcing Team Leader, Alcoa Procurement (he is based in Cleveland and came in for the event): “The volunteer work at the farm was both rewarding and educational. Hopefully the water hoses don’t unravel and the greens stay fresh. It’s a great cause and project, and I was happy to be a part of it.”
Sandy Stephens from the Indirect Commodity Management team noted, “I’ve never volunteered on a farm before so I wasn’t sure what to expect or if I would know what to do. However, Bryan, who guided us through our afternoon, did a great job of providing us background information on the farm itself, as well as the outreach benefits the farm provides to the community. He showed us exactly what to do, from harvesting the last crop of Kale for the season, to removing a deer fence for the winter. The farm was beautiful and the team from Alcoa with really enjoyed the experience.”
Site Coordinator Seth Kilzer added, “Farm Corps, in conjunction with New Sun Rising, are promoting two values that Alcoa aligns with greatly. Service and sustainability are values that individuals as well as all organizations from the grassroots level to large corporations can get behind and promote for the betterment of, not only our area, but the world. Our volunteer project at Round Hill Farm was a great way to help get the farm ready for winter as well as educate our volunteers. Bryan Ritti is a real asset, he provided an educational experience for all.”
As a result of this volunteer event, Seth successfully submitted a grant request for $1500 that FarmCorps will be receiving through Alcoa Foundation.
We’re so glad that everyone had a great experience and we thank Alcoa for graciously providing a grant to further the mission of FarmCorps.
Click here to see more photos from this great event!
ABOUT ALCOA FOUNDATION
Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately US $420 million. In addition to addressing local needs in communities where Alcoa operates, Alcoa Foundation is focused on promoting environmental stewardship, enabling economic and social sustainability, and preparing tomorrow’s leaders through education and learning. Alcoa Foundation was founded more than 50 years ago and has invested more than US $515 million since 1952. The work of Alcoa Foundation is further enhanced by Alcoa’s thousands of employee volunteers, who in 2009 gave over 650,000 service hours. Through the company’s signature Month of Service (October) program, Alcoa employees share their energy, passion and purpose to make a difference in our communities. In 2009, a record 37 percent of Alcoans took part in 795 Month of Service events across 23 countries. Among the many projects we initiated, our volunteer efforts helped 29,000 children and benefited more than 400 schools.
