There is no doubt that 2020 was a challenging year for volunteering. The COVID-19 pandemic halted some of the traditional avenues of service and created the need to be innovative when giving back to the community. And statistics show that people were willing to answer the call. According to the American Red Cross, the organization saw an approximately 20 percent increase in new volunteer applications since March 2020. Many other non-profit organizations reported increases in volunteer activity, as the need during COVID escalated.
At Santander Consumer USA (SC), the volunteering efforts also continued in the midst of the pandemic. Several members on the SC sales team took advantage of the company’s volunteer paid time off (VPTO) to participate in both at-home and on-site volunteer opportunities. From making homemade holiday cards for the elderly to volunteering at food banks/pantries, all were excited to participate in volunteer projects and utilize VPTO to make a difference.
Here are some of the volunteer projects that our SC associates worked on.
Destry Wood (top row, left), Dealer Relationship Manager (DRM) for the Seattle, Washington, area cleans up after volunteering with Habitat for Humanity as part of his VPTO.
Wendy Randolph, DRM in North Austin, Texas, made blankets for the Kids In Need Foundation and sent holiday cards (top row, center) for nursing home residents as part of our group project with Interfaith Works.
Crystal Finley, DRM for the Southern Washington/Oregon region, made masks (top row, right) for her local hospital and sewed quilts (bottom row, right) for families displaced after the Oregon wild fires in 2020.
Maria Everly (bottom row, left), DRM in Sacramento, California, volunteered with the Salvation Army, assembling food boxes and serving as a Red Kettle Bell ringer.
Kelly Craven, Sr. Specialist Dealer Sales, made Christmas cards (bottom row, center) for the elderly at the Serene Healthcare Services nursing home in Stafford, Texas.
