February 14, 2014
Engaging OtterBox and One Team Company employees in our mission is a significant part of the work we do at the OtterCares Foundation. In fact, in 2013, more than 460 employees contributed over 5,800 volunteer hours to the community through our Volunteer Time Off program. This benefit allows employees to take up to 24 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer in their community. Employees take part in a variety of activities including volunteering at local schools, teaching Junior Achievement classes, outdoor clean-up and trail work projects, helping at the food bank, and more! Our largest single-day employee volunteer event each year is our Pack2School backpack and school supply event in the fall, which utilized over 150 employee volunteers in 2013.
The success of this employee volunteer program is driven by a dedicated and hardworking group of employee volunteers aptly named the OtterCares Ambassadors. These employees represent all departments and locations within the company and are official volunteers for OtterCares. They help champion and guide OtterCares efforts within their departments and rally participation and support from their peers. In a single word… they are incredible.
Each year at the company Christmas party, the OtterCares Foundation recognizes one outstanding OtterCares Ambassador with the Silver Heart Award. For 2013, it was awarded to Peggy Elkins, an executive administrator for the Blue Ocean company. Peggy was chosen for her passion, enthusiasm and ongoing support of OtterCares, not only in her own department but also throughout OtterBox. She rallied her department to raise more than $100,000 during the 2013 Dare to Care employee fundraising challenge and her encouragement of volunteerism drove her coworkers to contribute more than 680 volunteer hours last year. Volunteers like Peggy (and last year’s Silver Heart Award winner Randy Duffy) are absolutely essential to the success of OtterCares and the advancement of our mission. They are the true heart of OtterCares and we could not be more grateful for the wonderful work they do in the community and to support the foundation.