CHALLENGE WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Three Kansas employers have been announced winners of the Give Back Kansas Challenge.
Businesses participating in this year’s challenge were placed into three categories based upon the number of employees they had – small, medium, and large. This year’s winners are:
- Small organization: United Way of Greater Topeka, Topeka.
- Medium organization: TGC Group, Wichita.
- Large organization: Moundridge Manor Inc., Moundridge.
Ten Kansas employers participated in the second annual Give Back Kansas Challenge, hosted by the Kansas Volunteer Commission and Volunteer Kansas.
The challenge ran from April 18-June 10, 2022, to engage Kansans in employer-supported volunteering. Nearly 2,956 volunteer hours were completed at various organizations across Kansas by 790 employees, for an average of 3.74 volunteer hours per employee participant.
“Volunteer Kansas’ goal for the challenge was to have at least ten businesses participate, giving back to their communities in service,” said Nola Brown, executive director of Volunteer Kansas. “We are pleased that the goal was met and look forward to increasing participation next year. The challenge is a quadruple win. The employees who participate reaped the personal reward of helping others. The businesses are better known in their communities for corporate caring. Multiple organizations benefitted from the helping hands of volunteers, and three charities will receive grants to help them achieve their missions.”
Each of the organizations designated a charity to receive a $1,000 grant - on their behalf - from Volunteer Kansas. The United Way of Greater Topeka and Moundridge Manor Inc. will accept the donation as nonprofit organizations and plan to utilize it within their respective service areas. TGC Group has selected Sunlight Children’s Services as its charity of choice.
“Although the Challenge has concluded, the Commission encourages participating employers to maintain their high commitment to volunteerism,” said Jessica Dorsey, executive director of the Kansas Volunteer Commission. “Research of employer volunteer programs has shown a positive impact on employee engagement, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and retention.”
ONLINE COURSE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
DEI Course Extended Until December 31st, 2022!
The Kansas Volunteer Commission presents five Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) learning sessions intended to provide participants with an introduction to DEI concepts and vocabulary. The course developed by Dr. Bongi Wenyika, addresses the following topics: History, Immigration, Assumptions and Myths About What is American; Definition, Dimension and Types of Diversity; Dynamics of Inequality; Understanding Disability by Challenging Ableism Through Inclusive Practices; Raising Awareness of LGBTQIA Challenges in Communities.
This is an on-demand course that participants can progress through at their own pace.
Each learning session in the course will have a pre-recorded video and a workbook in Google Classroom. The workbooks will contain: activities to be completed while following along with each video; homework and reflective activities to help participants think about what they have learned; resource lists for further learning around each topic.
In addition, the Google Classroom will have a general DEI resource library with resources that are not specific to the course but are relevant to DEI work and learning.
The cost for the entire five-part DEI course is $25. Once registered, invoices will be sent the Friday following the registration date. Invoices must be paid before access to the course will be granted. Credit cards are not accepted. Scholarships are available upon request.
If you have questions, please email us at volunteer@ksde.org.
