On a beautiful August afternoon at Beacon Park in Detroit, passersby could find more than a dozen DTE Energy volunteers enjoying the weather, catching up with coworkers and filling backpacks with school supplies for Detroit-area students in need.
“This was a great opportunity to support kids as they get ready to go back to school,” said Elizabeth Tick, principal supervisor in Customer Service at DTE. “Both of my parents were public school teachers, grew up with education being first and foremost in the house. I know what it is to go from summer break into being back at school.”
The opportunity was part of DTE’s Month of Caring, where the company puts a spotlight on volunteerism and goes even further to make a difference across the state. This year’s Month of Caring brought out 816 participants who volunteered for 5,128 hours to help 154 organizations, including the event in Beacon Park.
“I wanted to give back to the community and volunteer for the kids,” said Caterina Jones, principal analyst on the Customer Service Strategy team and volunteer at the event. “Education is very important, I’m in school right now and I have nine grandchildren, so I want to be an example for them. My two sons are in college with me – we go to the same school – so it’s very important for me and my family. Giving back like this is an example to inspire others, to show how important education is. You need education to move forward.”
Teams across the enterprise found ways to give back, including at the Monroe Power Plant, where 128 volunteers pitched in at 14 organizations and agencies across Monroe. One of these agencies was Woof Lodge, home of Project Second Chance which pairs abandoned dogs with at-risk youth to train the dogs while helping the humans improve their mental health.
“This is a great way to give employees the opportunity to get out and volunteer. It’s really amazing how much people like to give their time, effort and skills to places like this,” said Dan Casey, manager at the Monroe Power Plant. “We’re such a big part of this community, it’s nice to get out here and show that we’re more than just making power.”
There were dozens of other events like these across Michigan, where DTE team members worked together to make a difference in their communities. From organizing stock at food pantries to cleaning up gardens at the zoo, volunteers got out and gave back.
Here are just some of the ways they helped this Month of Caring:
- Speed Interview and Networking Event with Heritage Works: More than 80 volunteers helped empower young minds through real-world experience and professional connections at this Detroit event designed to develop interview and networking skills in youths.
- Stuff the Bus: Volunteers gathered to fill a school bus with supplies to benefit Saline Area Social Services.
- Humble Design Day of Joy: The Community Engagement Team rolled up their sleeves to bring comfort, dignity and joy to a family transitioning out of homelessness. Volunteers helped transform an empty house into a welcoming, fully furnished home for a family in need in Oakland County.
- La Casa Boxing Club: Volunteers regularly visited this non-profit gym to help train and mentor young boxers throughout August.
- Belle Isle Cleanup and Beautification: Volunteers helped clean up and maintain the grounds at Belle Isle Beach.
- Fleece and Thank You: A team of 10 volunteers from ITS rolled up their sleeves at this organization’s warehouse and office, where they prepped blanket kits for events and provided quality control to blankets that were ready to be given to hospitalized children.
- Gleaners Community Food Bank: Two dozen DTE team members gathered to process donated and purchased food to serve their neighbors in need in Detroit.
- Zoo Clean Up: Volunteers pitched in at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, cleaning up gardens as summer wound down.
- Food Gatherers: Volunteers repackaged bulk foods, sorted produce and packed boxes for distribution at this Ann Arbor foodbank.
- Toy Wrapping for Hospitalized Pediatric Oncology Patients: The ITS team gathered to gift wrap toys for children undergoing cancer treatment and kids who have anxiety around medical procedures for the Bottomless Toy Chest in Troy.
- Forgotten Harvest: Several groups of volunteers packed emergency food boxes and sorted through fresh, nutritious food that was distributed throughout Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties.
The impact is far reaching for the organizations helped during Month of Caring and all year long.
“Help like this is huge,” said Marji McIntyre, president of board for Woof Lodge and founder of Project Second Chance Monroe. “Nobody on the board has the time and expertise to do a lot of this. The volunteers get so much done, it’s amazing because it’s stuff that we’d have to hire people to do. It awes me to see the good that places like DTE are doing in the community, they’re everywhere.”
The opportunity to give back is just as beneficial for the volunteers who have helped make Month of Caring a success year after year.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of working at DTE is the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the communities we live in and serve through volunteerism,” said Shilpa Hegde, manager in IT and the team’s volunteerism ambassador. “Whether I’m organizing events, leading initiatives, participating hands-on or supporting efforts behind the scenes, I’m grateful to be part of a company that empowers us to give back in so many ways. Making a difference isn’t just encouraged here, it’s part of who we are.”
