As part of our long, proud legacy of giving back to the community, Pinkard Construction gives all its employees 16 annual hours of VTO, or Volunteer Time Off. In other words, we pay our employees to pursue charity work.
Recently, Pinkard HR Administrator Tanya Navarro used her VTO for the first time to give back to an organization that’s near and dear to her heart.
“I volunteered with the College Assistance Migrant Program, out of BUENO Center at CU, which provides financial support, mentorship, and opportunities to migrant farm workers and their children,” she explains. “I used to be a beneficiary of the program, so it feels amazing to give back to the next generation.”
Putting her HR expertise to good use, Tanya helped conduct mock job interviews with first-year college students, giving them tips, feedback, and real-life practice for how to present themselves. Tanya adds, “A lot of these young people are interested in studying construction, so it was extra special to be able to share the industry expertise I’ve gained at Pinkard to help prepare kids for entering the workforce.”
While Pinkard employees can use their VTO on any charity they choose, we also create our own volunteer opportunities through our community outreach program, The Pink Crew, which in the past has included projects for Habitat for Humanity, rebuilding a deck at Jeffco’s beloved Outdoor Lab, and packing and delivering groceries for Food for Thought.
In fact, one of the Pink Crew’s biggest events of the year is coming up soon. Going down on Friday, June 7, at the Pinkard Yard in Westminster, Pinkard employees will be breaking out their tool belts to build bed frames for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an award-winning nonprofit that delivers beds to children who don’t have one. Sign up here!
When it comes to the Pink Crew, Tanya adds that there are unexpected benefits too: “When I volunteered for one of the Habitat for Humanity projects, I got to work with Terry Wevers, who is a superintendent with us,” she recalls. “Since I work in the office and he’s out in the field, we don’t have a lot of opportunities to get to know each other, but after volunteering together I got to know a whole new side to Terry. Now we love to crack jokes together, and we work better together as a result.”
For those doubting the personal rewards of volunteering, or the difference they can make, Tanya says her volunteer experiences couldn’t have been better: “Everybody has a special skillset and a place where they can be of service. If you share it with people, it makes the community and world around us a better place. I enjoy it so much that I would take personal day if we didn’t have VTO, but the fact that Pinkard recognizes and encourages it is such a bonus.”
