Date: Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Since 2015, employees at Barclays have been helping Three Square Food Bank "fill the plate" for Hunger Action Month each September through their company food drive. Their contributions to our community increase year after year, totaling more than 27,500 pounds of food donated to the food bank. Assistant Vice President of Community Relations, DeAndre Esteen, shared with us how Barclays is making a difference in our community and why he and his colleagues continue to step up to fill the plate.
How did Barclays learn about Three Square?
The reputation that Three Square holds in our community is widespread. Many of our colleagues are from this community, know of the wonderful work you do and want to be part of it.
Why is a hunger-free Southern Nevada important to Barclays?
Hunger and food insecurity is an issue that families across our country face, and that's heartbreaking. It's difficult to imagine anyone not knowing where their next meal will come from. Thankfully, there are organizations like Three Square that help address this issue and our colleagues are truly passionate about this cause across our organization. It's felt and seen every September during our annual "End Hunger Games" food drive, which our location in Hamilton, Ohio, recently adopted.Our site in Wilmington, Delaware, held its ninth annual food drive and donated over 50,000 pounds of food this year for their local food bank.
We learned that employees can be very competitive in regards to raising food during Hunger Action Month — the pounds of food donated increases yearly! What is your team's secret to running a successful, enjoyable food drive?
It does get very competitive but we make it fun, especially since there's a championship belt at stake that the winning team gets to hold onto for the whole year. From kicking off the food drive, to the final belt presentation, the event is designed to create a fun and engaging atmosphere Our employees are not only enjoying themselves and building teams; they know what they collect will help a family in need.
How else is your team giving back to our community?
We want to make sure we are being responsible citizens in Southern Nevada and it's in our DNA. We've been in this community for nearly five years and the commitment to giving is outstanding.
In fact, we average 90% volunteer engagement; meaning 90% of our 1,000 colleagues volunteer at least an hour of their time each year. There's a variety of work we do to support at-risk youth, including career training with Tech Impact and mentoring at Silvestri Jr. High school, Help of Southern Nevada and Junior Achievement. In addition, we have a large presence at Relay for Life of Henderson, Making Strides for Breast Cancer Awareness and in the Diversity & Inclusion space. Of course, we are at Three Square regularly. There's always an opportunity for our colleagues to get involved.
Is there anything else that you would like to share?
We are proud to partner with Three Square and support our local families. Thank you for the great work you do in our community and for allowing Barclays to be part of the journey. With all of us together, we can go forth and conquer hunger.