Commentary
VML Closes 100 Offices Worldwide Today So Employees Can Give Back
- by Richard Whitman , Columnist, September 26, 2024
Bogota Office Volunteers
VML is closing more than 100 offices around the world today (Sept. 26) so that 26,000 global employees can spend the day supporting worthy causes and nonprofit organizations of their choice.
Jon Cook, VML global CEO said, “Since the launch of VML earlier this year, one of the things we’ve looked forward to most is the increased impact we can have on Foundation Day. It’s the ultimate embodiment of the agency’s core values, emphasizing connection, inspiration and inclusion. While VML volunteers will be deployed in more than 100 individual markets globally, we will be united in purpose and in service of our communities.”
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In the U.S., the VML Foundation is an employee-funded and employee-led organization held under 501(c)(3) status that surpassed $3.2 million in charitable donations earlier this year.
Employees are invited to financially support the Foundation with personal contributions. Foundation members receive benefits including the ability to secure charitable grants and participate in a $2-to-$1 matching gift program, resulting in hundreds of employee-directed donations each year. Additionally, the VML Foundation supports pro bono services for nonprofits, yearlong volunteer opportunities, employee resource group fundraising, disaster relief efforts and more.
This year, VML employees will donate their time and talents to hundreds of organizations worldwide. Here's a sampling of some of the agencies North America offices and the groups they are working with:
VML Atlanta — Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Trees Atlanta, Books for Africa and Furniture Bank of Atlanta
VML Austin — Keep Austin Beautiful for cleanup at Roy G. Guerrero Park
VML Chicago — Cara Collective, Center on Halsted, Digs With Dignity, Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Habitat ReStore North, Habitat ReStore South, Kate’s Smiles, Lincoln Park Conservancy, Metropolitan Family Services, Monarch Thrift Shop, Nourishing Hope, Plant Chicago, and Sarah’s Circle
VML Cincinnati — Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and the College Hill community to clean up Pleasant Hill Academy and Crawford Commons
VML Cleveland — Environmental and community-focused initiatives with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, including removal of invasive plants and tree planting
VML Costa Mesa & Southern California — Processing nutritious food to be distributed to local network of providers
VML Dallas — Feed My Starving Children filling food packs benefiting global communities. Partnering with The Birthday Party Project and Streetside Showers
VML Detroit — Volunteers of America, Michigan Humane Society, Focus Hope, Noah at Central, Greening of Detroit, Forgotten Harvest, Motor City Mitten Mission, Detroit Experience Studio partner high school, and Friends of Detroit Animal Care & Control
VML Kalamazoo — Volunteering at Loaves & Fishes, Kalamazoo River Valley Trail and the YMCA
VML Kansas City — Ability KC, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Cultivate KC, Giving the Basics, Habitat for Humanity of Greater KC, Habitat for Humanity Truman Heritage, HappyBottoms, Harvesters Community Food Bank, and more.
