“I want to have a positive impact on anything & everything I interact with. How do I leave this world better than it was? For me, volunteering is a big part,” states Alanna Snedigar.
If volunteering at CYO is a gateway to get to heaven (sure would be cool if if was), Alanna Snedigar of Otterbox has her passport stamped! As an employee at Otterbox and OtterCares Ambassador, she has organized Otterbox employee workdays at Colorado Youth Outdoors for several years.
Grow to Give, Dollars for Doers, closed2open — Otterbox has a lot of catchy phrases for doing good in the community. The company has embedded a volunteer culture from the beginning. One day each year, Otterbox ‘closes the doors to open our hearts.’ Employees are also encouraged to Grow to Give — full time employees are given 24 hours of paid volunteer time off. Once these hours are fulfilled, the employee is given a Dollars for Doers grant to give to virtually any non-profit they’re passionate about. “It gives people an opportunity to increase his or her impact,’ says Snedigar.
To help facilitate volunteer opportunities, Otterbox created volunteer OtterCares Ambassadors throughout the organization. Snedigar became an Ambassador in 2020. The volunteer position requires coordination between Otterbox and Ottercares.org. Alanna sets up volunteer opportunities, acts as a point person for questions, and gives introductions about the program to new hires.
The group workdays are a boon for all involved. “It’s fun being around other employees in an environment that’s not work. You get to bond on a different level. Also, connections are made with co-workers you might not cross paths with otherwise,” states Snedigar. “Personally, the volunteering days fulfill a deep-seated human need to make a positive impact. Whether the difference can be found in a before/after photo collage or an ‘aha’ moment with a child . . . there’s an ‘I made a difference’ feeling that is essential to mental health.”
Enough about the positives of Otter workdays — let’s discuss our little organization on our big ‘ol piece of property. Anyone with a yard knows how a to-do list can quickly get out of hand. Ten sets of hands working on a project for 6 hours is a boon for CYO. The progress compounds quickly!
Alanna organized 10 work days at CYO in 2022. Otters provided:
- 60 hours setting up netting behind the archery targets
- 125 hours helping with the Maverick
- 150 hours around the CYO property on various projects for closed2open
- 60 hours prepping for the Scoot
- 250 hours setting up NoCo Winter Wonderland
645 hours of organized group volunteer hours equates to over $15,000 in donated labor costs in 2022.
“We have 220 acres of nature that we ‘gift’ to participants for the 2 hours/week they spend time at CYO,” states Chris Woodward, Director of Facilities at CYO. “It’s a huge part of our programming and our fundraising. As part of our commitment to this property, there is always a field to fix, a mound to mulch, trees to trim. . . while there’s certainly a price tag associated with labor hours, the Otter impact is invaluable.”
We are one non-profit organization that benefits from the foresight of the Otterbox business model and the commitment of the Otters to put in the work to keep it going. Thank you, Alanna & Otterbox, for spreading your giving spirit throughout Northern Colorado. You are otterly appreciated!
