The 2nd Annual Day of Caring at The Sharing Farm takes place tomorrow (Saturday).
More than 100 volunteers from a dozen Richmond businesses turned out last year for the event, which recognizes employer-supported volunteerism and its impact on the community.
They spent a morning in the fields digging, weeding and planting for a cause.
Employer-supported volunteerism is on the rise, and for good reason, said Elizabeth Specht, executive director of Volunteer Richmond Information Services.
For businesses, the benefits are clear: increased employee morale and productivity, a greater sense of loyalty to the company. All of this contributes to a businesss profitability.
Launched near the end of 2011, the Richmond Caring Companies program comprises a series of workshops and consultations designed to teach businesses, large and small, how to enhance their community involvement.
This could mean anything from establishing an employer-supported volunteer program to forming an ongoing partnership with a non-profit organization.
Ultimately, businesses learn that the best way to engage their employees is to have them engage with the community.
That idea is central to the Day of Caring.
