REM Iowa Participates in The MENTOR Network’s Third Annual National Volunteer Day
28 May 2015
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Employees, individuals served, family members and friends of REM Iowa came together on Saturday, April 25 to participate in The Network’s Third Annual National Volunteer Day. Nearly 400 individuals volunteered their time to make a difference in Hiawatha and Shelby.
The MENTOR Network’s President and CEO, Bruce Nardella, as well as Chief Quality Officer, Gerry Morrissey, agreed to travel to volunteer alongside employees in the state with the highest percentage of employee participation on Volunteer Day. Based on the overwhelming enthusiasm from the REM Iowa employees to get out and volunteer, Bruce and Gerry headed to Iowa!
Those in Hiawatha welcomed Bruce and Gerry as they cleaned up two of their local parks. No one hesitated to roll up their sleeves to rake debris from the winter, clean up trash and put down woodchips. Everyone in Shelby did their part to spruce up the City Nature Trail.
“We were thrilled to have the opportunity to come together to serve the communities where we live and work,” said Lisa Pakkebier, Executive Director of REM Iowa. “The nearly 400 volunteers, who cleaned up our local parks and the City Nature Trail, were not deterred by the rainy and cold weather. Our employees work hard every day making a difference in the lives of the individuals we serve and I’m delighted by how many joined us for this event to make a difference for the community at-large.”
As activities were going on in Iowa, there were also over 2,000 others from across The MENTOR Network simultaneously completing 50 service projects in 16 other states. All four operating groups of The MENTOR Network were represented: Redwood, Hastings, CareMeridian and NeuroRestorative. Employees from the corporate headquarters and Shared Service Center in North Andover also participated. Some projects included painting and gardening projects, sorting food donations at food banks and Goodwill stores, helping at charitable fundraisers and thrift stores, serving meals at soup kitchens, participating in food drives, and cleaning up at various Boys & Girls Clubs.
“I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the great success of The Network’s third annual National Volunteer Day,” said Bruce Nardella, President and CEO of The MENTOR Network. “It’s inspiring to see so many of our employees excited about giving back to the communities in which we live and work, extending our mission of service to the community at-large by taking time to volunteer along with family members, friends and individuals we serve. I’m proud to work alongside such dedicated individuals, and look forward to seeing how far this event will grow in the future!”