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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 30, 2006 Volunteer Chelsie Veach gets a hug from Joshua Groves, 7, of Medford during the Kids Unlimited after-school program at Oak Grove Elementary School on Thursday. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Volunteers on the clock Umpqua Bank program encourages employees to serve their communities By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune Three women are playing with the children in an after-school program at Medford’s Oak Grove Elementary, helping them read, count and just have fun. What’s different about this picture? The women are bank employees and they are on the job and getting paid as bank employees. It’s called the Connect program — and Umpqua Bank created it in 2004 as a way of giving back to the community, helping employees realize their connection to the community and reducing employee turnover. Last year, 40 employees gave 693 hours to the youth and education programs in Jackson County. The volunteers can choose from several programs — the SMART reader program, Junior Achievement, Head Start, Lunch Buddy, ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum, Kids Unlimited — or they can choose their own place to volunteer. "I love doing it and I know a lot of employees, who’ve never volunteered, got addicted to (it) — and some have taken jobs with us, rather than another job, because of it," says Chris Carter, retail service manager in the Phoenix branch. Advertisement A group of Oak Grove fourth-graders had only good things to say about the volunteers who help them in Kids Unlimited after school. "They’re good. They help us in homework," says Madison MacLeod. "We read to them. They help us in science projects." Another, Mackenzie Champion, said the volunteers support the girls in their dance team. Umpqua volunteers are given 40 hours of paid volunteer time a year. It’s enough, when counted system-wide in their banks from Sacramento to Seattle, to make a 21-year career for one social worker, according to Nicole Vanderstoep, who manages the program in Portland. It racked up 11,573 hours from 728 employees last year. Volunteering with Carter at Kids Unlimited were Aften Cook of the Ashland branch and Chelsie Veach of Central Point office. They set up a play program for kids based on banking — learning to make change and keep a checkbook. "It’s very rewarding and allows you to get out and work with kids. I love kids," said Veach, a mother of two. "When you walk in the door the kids run up and hug you and if you skip a time, the kids are upset. It’s awesome to know you make such a difference." Adds Cook, "I love kids and it’s great to help them play. It gives them something engaging and fun to do, so they don’t have to go home alone after school." The Connect program, said Vanderstoep, was the vision in 2003 of CEO and President Ray Davis in Portland, who felt any corporation could give money to charity but it’s a lot better for the community to give real people and time. "Instead of people (at work) saying ‘where is she when we need her’ (about someone leaving to volunteer)," noted Vanderstoep, "they say, ‘It’s great she’s out volunteering.’ It’s part of our work culture, it helps us recruit, it builds loyalty, people come back to work motivated, having learned new people skills — and it’s a good and necessary thing to do in the community." With volunteer wages valued at $17 an hour by nonprofit organizations, Umpqua’s expenditure on volunteers last year would have been almost $197,000. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement