How Allied Solutions Supports Food Insecurity in Central Indiana Through its Partnership with United Way
At United Way of Central Indiana, solving our community’s most pressing issues is at the heart of our history. For over a century, we’ve committed ourselves to convening on the problems facing our six-county region and combatting them in measurable ways.
For one of our corporate partners, they share this calling. They will tell you solutions isn’t just part of their name – it’s a mindset they apply to everything they do from helping customers grow, protect and evolve their business to improving their communities.
When Allied Solutions made the decision to partner with United Way, they also wanted to be intentional about the ways they gave back to their local communities so that their employees could personally have a hand in impacting and inspiring across their many locations throughout the country.
Allied Solutions began exploring the issues they wanted to tackle here at home, one area being food insecurity. It didn’t take them long to get involved with one of United Way’s community-based organizations, Second Helpings, and to see the innovative work already being done in the space. What they were surprised to discover was the volume of hot meals Second Helpings provides to the populations they serve, in addition to the reach of programs.
Allied noticed the efficiency of the community partner’s operations, from the way they educate volunteers to the ways they quickly connect them to opportunities for greater impact. For the last four years, volunteers have spent time connecting to the organization’s mission in various ways, specifically through work in Second Helpings’ hunger relief kitchen, where they help salvage, clean and prepare food for the meals that get distributed to the community.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” said Lisa, an Allied Solutions employee. “There’s so much you can be involved in to help the community that I wasn’t aware of and volunteering with Second Helpings made me want to do it again with my family.”
Just this year, 250 employees completed twelve United Way volunteer projects in communities near major offices around the country, including Carmel, IN, Plano, Texas, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. Eight of those projects supported communities in Indiana and included off site activities and kit builds.
“At Allied, we believe it’s our responsibility to support the communities where we live and work and through our partnership with United Way of Central Indiana and Second Helpings, we’re able to do just that,” stated Brian Urbanski, EVP of corporate services and chief financial officer for Allied Solutions. “Volunteering with fellow Allied employees at the Hunger Relief Kitchen to feed our local Indiana communities is something I look forward to every year. It’s a humbling and rewarding experience.”
“We applaud Allied Solution’s efforts to be intentional and creative about the way they engage in their local communities,” said Penny Lee, chief fundraising officer for United Way of Central Indiana. “Not only do they focus their employee efforts on addressing food insecurity, they also find unique ways to engage the broader community in the mission of United Way.”
A good example of their creativity happened this past September, when Allied Solutions partnered with the City of Carmel on their Midtown Movie Night to promote United Way with a short video before the movie premiered. They also donated proceeds from popcorn sales to United Way. “We are grateful for our relationship with Allied Solutions,” Lee said. “We look forward to deepening the relationship between our organizations as we continue to partner to support the Central Indiana community.”
Community partnerships can provide volunteer opportunities for you and your business to connect to the causes they care about. Click here to learn more.