By Will Teachout – Marketing Manager
At Benafica, we always get a kick out of learning more about our new clients and how they give back to their local communities. We’ve seen a wide variety of community giving from our clients and partners over the years.
Here at Benafica and Blue World Ventures, our goal is to set a standard for volunteering charitable actions. From food drives to volunteering at the Dorothy Day Center, we strive to always give back to the community in some capacity.
One of our most popular volunteer events is our Biannual Highway Cleanup, where we have adopted a stretch of MN Highway 120 (Century/Geneva Ave) on the east side of Saint Paul. Our most recent cleanup was this past Tuesday, where two groups of volunteers spent the day cleaning both sides of the roadway.
Here’s a little insight into the Adopt a Highway program here in Minnesota:
– In 2022, volunteers spent 88,000+ hours picking up litter.
– Benafica is one of 1,860+ groups who volunteer with the program in 2022.
– We contributed to the 38,500+ bags of trash picked up by the program in 2022.
Source: MN Department of Transportation
I was personally on the crew on Tuesday and the noticeable impacts it had on the community, the office culture, and my own work was incredible. While volunteering, the before and after of the roadsides was drastic! We really did a great job cleaning up the litter that had accumulated from the winter months here in Minnesota.
You wouldn’t think there would be a lot of trash given how cold and snowy it gets here, but we were all surprised at how much had accumulated. We did such a great job that numerous residents and drivers expressed their gratitude for our volunteering. This immediate gratitude solidified the volunteering that we do and the impact that we have in our community.
Another great benefit of the highway cleanup was the cross-company culture uplift! It was a beautiful day for the cleanup and our group of volunteers from across the companies had a lot of fun! It’s always great to see coworkers come together to bond over volunteering and foster that sense of giving back. Personally, it’s also a great way to have a break and get away from the day-to-day of normal office life.
The experience was also insightful for me and the work that I do. For context, I am the marketing manager here at Benafica. My work is oftentimes one of the first things a new or perspective client witnesses when getting involved with us. Whether it be a social post, a blog like this one, a webpage, a brochure, or a company specific landing page, I always strive to put our best foot forward when representing Benafica to the public and our clients.
Participating in the Adopt a Highway program is no different. The volunteering we do on such an important regional roadway enables the community to put their best foot forward. Because of our volunteering, we join our numerous clients in creating a culture of giving back to our communities.
In conclusion, volunteering with Adopt a Highway is a rewarding experience that always leaves a lasting impact on our team and the community. Through our volunteering, we contribute to the betterment of our local community and improve our office culture by fostering a spirit of giving back. Additionally, the insights gained from this experience will help us continue to put our best foot forward in representing our company to the public. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Adopt-a-Highway program and other community service initiatives in the future.
