During times of political, religious, and economic upheaval, it may seem that there is no bridge capable of crossing the divide. For members of the Corporate Volunteer Council, which supports member companies and their commitments to corporate social impact, the answer is “giving back.”
Naomi Green, president/CEO of Hands On Atlanta, said she has found that when a shared passion for a cause unites people, race, political or religious affiliation, or economic status doesn’t matter.
“When you’re there in that room sorting food, cleaning a park, building a bike, or building a home, it really doesn’t matter who you work for or how much money you make, who you voted for, where you live, what faith you follow,” Green said. “We’re all the same. We can all accomplish the same in that hour of service, in that day of service together. And that’s what makes volunteerism such a powerful uniter for the community. “
Hands On Atlanta, which partners with more than 200 non-profit organizations and the general public to offer volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups, was started 30 years ago by 12 people who dreamed of a more organized and flexible business model for volunteering. It now has expanded beyond Atlanta with an international reach, thanks to a partnership with Points of Light.
Green cited a real-life example about the power of volunteerism very close to her.
“My mom, who, during COVID, when she couldn’t see her friends as often as she wanted to, started volunteering for the local animal shelter to foster and take care of cats,” Green said.
Green’s mother worked alongside a high school student who was fulfilling mandated volunteer hours as part of graduation requirements.
“So now you have this high schooler alongside this retired senior who was put into this same space, because they both care about animals,” Green said. “One’s mandated to be there by their high school, their Georgia requirement that they graduate with community service hours. One was put there by chance of a pandemic.”
Volunteerism is non-political, non-religious, and non-geographical,” Green continued. “No matter what someone believes, I assure you that there is a nonprofit partner that can benefit from their time and their talent for service.”
Kahlil Bostick, the community and workforce experience manager for the Ryan Companies, a design and construction firm with 1,500 employees nationwide, said he feels that employees becoming involved “in something bigger than themselves” is impactful in many ways.
“When everyone wants to give back, there are so many ways to do it without being polarizing,” Bostick said. “When you allow team members to participate in activities that they are passionate about, that’s all that matters.”
To better streamline and encourage corporate volunteerism, Ryan Companies offers employees 20 hours of paid volunteer time off for either group or individual philanthropy efforts. Activities have included silent auctions, cornhole or kickball tournaments, as well as the RyanGivesBack initiative that partners various home offices to community initiatives.
Last year, the company logged 7,500 volunteer hours spent at more than 195 charities last year, with nearly $900,000 raised for charities during its 2025 RyanGivesBack campaign.
This year, the company partnered with Kaboom to build an inclusive playground in Covington’s City Pond Park. A group of 30 employees supplied the manpower over three hot days to build the structures, and returned later for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Just seeing the team come together to volunteer to do something good in their communities is amazing,” he said. “Our team members want to make a difference and that’s part of our company culture.”
Green said at Hands On Atlanta volunteer events she regularly sees a meeting of the minds, even when diverse groups come together for a common purpose.
“We see companies that would otherwise be competitors show up and solve problems together,” she said. ”We see folks from different area codes, different ZIP codes, and walks of life show up to accomplish tasks together on a regular basis. This is what makes volunteerism so, so beautiful.”
