SEPTEMBER 2025 3 SOLUTIONS Encourage Your Employees to Give Back To be a strong community partner, your company needs to foster a spirit of volunteerism among employees. If you’re experiencing challenges with getting employees to participate in volunteer activities, consider these ideas: Provide paid time off for volunteering. This approach does two important things. First, it communicates to employees —and to customers and community members—that your company is truly committed to giving back. It also allows employees to volunteer without always having to give up their personal time to do so. The amount of paid time off for volunteering doesn’t need to be huge. Even one work day per year per employee, when spent doing good work in the community, can lead to valuable results. Give employees the autonomy to give back in ways meaningful to them. Instead of micromanaging every act of giving, allow employees flexibility to come up with their own ways to help the community. Perhaps some employees will want to put together toiletry bags for the homeless, pick up trash at a park, read to children at an elementary school, or organize a drive to collect food, clothing, or toys. Others may want to set up regular visits to a senior facility to spend time with residents who don’t have nearby family. Whatever the volunteer projects, they provide excellent opportunities for employees to build skills by taking initiative, managing activities, and strengthening relationships with coworkers and neighbors. Make sure your leadership sets a good example. Everyone has a role to play in order for your company’s volunteer goals to be met. When your CEO marches in the local parade or your HR Manager sets up the company booth at the county fair, it encourages employees to also sign up to participate in these types of community events. In addition, it reinforces your company’s deep commitment to making a difference. Panora Fiber is proud of our volunteer work. Follow us on Facebook to see howwe’re lending a hand in our communities we serve throughout the year. Panora Fiber Is Active in Our Communities As a company, Panora Fiber is amember of the following organizations and works to enhance the quality of life in our communities: Panora Chamber of Commerce PRIDE (Panora Area Economic Development Group) Midwest Partnership Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce Guthrie Center Main Street GCDC (Guthrie Center Development Corporation) AIBW (Association of Independent Business Women) As individuals, many Panora Fiber employees are also active in community organizations such as these: Panora Fire Department Sons of American Legion St. Mary’s Church Guthrie Center Activity Center Panorama Soccer Club GCHV Foundation Panora City Council Little Panther Daycare & Preschool Redfield Development Corporation One of the best parts of giving back is getting to work (and play) with our friends, neighbors, and customers. Come to think of it, many of you are all three!
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