(DES MOINES) – Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg announced the fourth annual Give Back Iowa Challenge Monday. The challenge is issued to employers and runs from April 1-May 31, 2018, to engage Iowans in employer-supported volunteering.
“Volunteerism is an integral part of what it means to be an Iowan,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Through service, Iowans are making the lives of others better and meeting community challenges, while also transforming their own lives.”
During the challenge, employers encourage their employees to volunteer and log their hours. Employers with the highest average number of volunteer hours per employee during the challenge period will be recognized and receive a visit at their workplace from Gov. Reynolds or Lt. Gov. Gregg. Multiple winners will be selected based on employer size.
The Give Back Iowa Challenge had 56 companies participate in 2017. The companies represented more than 56,000 employees and nearly 60,000 hours of volunteer time. Those hours equaled about a $1.3 million investment in Iowa communities.
“We appreciate the companies who have participated in the challenge the past three years,” Lt. Gov. Gregg said. “It’s been an honor to recognize their employees and celebrate the impact they’re making.”
The Give Back Iowa Challenge was created by representatives of employers across Iowa and many others who served on the Iowa Employer Initiative Advisory Council. Today, the team at Volunteer Iowa leads the challenge each spring.
“According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, 34.7 percent of Iowans volunteer,” Volunteer Iowa Commissioner Angela Ten Clay said. “The Give Back Iowa Challenge was created as a way for employers to engage their employees in volunteering and to recognize employers already making a difference in Iowa.
Iowa currently ranks in the top ten states for volunteering.
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