Filling my cup — and a neighbor’s freezer
By Jessie Stauffacher, American Family Insurance Group Chief People Officer
The smell of onions lingered around me for hours afterward. It is not a perfume I’d usually choose! But on Sept. 5, I was proud to wear it.
In support of the American Family Insurance Community Giving Campaign, I took a volunteer day off in September to do my one good thing. I pulled on a hair net, apron, gloves and got to work at Second Harvest Food Bank in Madison, Wisconsin, with a group of volunteers from American Family Insurance.
At a frenzied pace, I checked expiration dates, peeled onions, packed pizzas and filled boxes of food for families in Dane County.
If you’ve ever seen a foodbank moving at full speed, you will understand what I mean when I say it was a whirlwind. And the work we did made a difference to the families who relied on volunteers like us, doing our part, so groceries would be there when they needed them most.
I went in knowing the importance of time off — time to recharge, care for ourselves, our families. It’s key for our well-being.
However, by doing good in my community with my colleagues, I came away with a greater appreciation for taking time off to volunteer. Giving your time is a two-way street — you give and it gives back to you, which is key for community well-being.
We’re fortunate American Family Insurance gives us time off to volunteer, time that isn’t part of our other paid time off. The time spent at Second Harvest filled my cup in a totally different way. It was time spent purposefully doing something completely different from my day-to-day for someone else. Each box I packed helped fill a freezer for a family.
I purposefully chose to spend my volunteer day with Second Harvest. Hunger is hard to spot. And it’s closer to each of us than we think. While I’ve served as a board member for Second Harvest since 2019, it is experiences like this one that bring me closest to the people being served by this important community organization.
While I sorted donated veggie patties and peeled onions, I got to hear what motivates our people to take volunteer time off and how they use their social impact budgets.
Our employees — and the way they do good — inspire me every day. It goes beyond our Community Giving Campaign in September, when we put a focus on giving and volunteering. It’s a year-round dedication.
I want to learn more — how do you use your volunteer time off? What goodness are you doing from where you are?
Our people are a force for good
In September, American Family Insurance employees and agency owners across the country are a force for good! Together, we want to raise $3 million and commit to 20,000 hours of service.
