Volunteer teams from Universal Orlando Resort are a common sight at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
Universal has a near-constant presence year-round in the main distribution center, Mercy Kitchen and off-site events.
Volunteers for the Bites, Camera, Action program, which is funded by the Universal Orlando Foundation, come to the food bank monthly to pack food boxes for local families, seniors and veterans. Through this program, they also help out at school resource fairs by cooking, providing dinner for families, and distributing bags of fresh produce.
The company offers its Universal Volunteers opportunities to serve in a variety of ways throughout Central Florida, supporting causes they care about such as education, youth development, the arts, and hunger relief.
Universal team members frequently choose to give their time to Second Harvest. Last year, team members contributed more than 3,100 hours to the fight against hunger.
Recently, Universal brought a group of more than 40 volunteers to the food bank to kick off April as Global Volunteer Month, packing boxes for distribution.
“We love our partnership with Second Harvest,” said Allyson Wilkenson, Director of Community Relations for Universal Orlando. “They are consistently one of the top nonprofits where our team members enjoy volunteering the most. Our team members volunteer on their own and also in big groups, and Second Harvest is always so welcoming to all volunteers. Second Harvest is easy to work with, and you can easily see the impact you're making.”
The Universal Volunteers’ impact supports thousands of neighbors facing hunger, something Allyson said is important to Universal Orlando Resort team members.
Scott, Manager of Event Management for Universal, is a familiar face at Second Harvest. He has helped distribute fresh produce at local school resource fairs for several years and picks up shifts often at the food bank. He joined fellow Universal Volunteers for a Global Volunteer Month packing opportunity.
“When we can get together as a team and do this, we know that we're going to accomplish a lot in one opportunity,” Scott said during his shift.
He said he enjoys spending time with his co-workers in a different setting and the feeling of accomplishment they have as a team.
“There is a physical, visual impact when you're done,” Scott explained. “You see the pallet stack, and you know that the stuff's going out the door pretty quickly once you're done with it.”
Senior Event Manager, Vivian, has spent her life giving back to her community. Growing up in Washington, D.C., she remembers as early as kindergarten volunteering with her family for clothing drives.
“That's what I (continue to) do with Universal,” she said. “I give to the community that I live in.”
It means a lot to Vivian that Universal emphasizes the importance of community service and provides employees with opportunities to volunteer.
“I think that it is really important that a company of our size contributes to the community where the company exists,” Vivian explained. “More personally or individually, we've created the opportunity for people to participate in what is meaningful to them. So, if you can be fulfilled at work and fulfilled in life, you're going to end up being a better person all the way around.”
Volunteering is a great way to connect with the community. Opportunities for companies, schools, clubs, faith communities and other groups to volunteer can be found on the volunteer calendar.
