Location: New Orleans, Guatemala, and others
Summary: Each year, we recognize exceptional Gap Inc. volunteers with a trip to build a Habitat for Humanity home. What they bring back: stories of teamwork, a changed perspective, and more than a few doses of inspiration.
When it comes to our community investment strategy, volunteers are our most important company asset. In 2010 alone, Gap Inc. employees volunteered 428,000 hours. One way we recognize exemplary volunteers is through our Community Corps program. Since 2000, two teams of 25 employees have been selected each year to participate in the program – a volunteering trip to one of two locations to build a Habitat for Humanity home.
In September and October of 2010, Community Corps participants travelled to New Orleans and Guatemala. As the volunteers came together and exchanged stories during a welcome dinner, the volunteer experiences they shared formed a picture of some of the inspired work they had done in their communities. One employee described how she started a walk for autism awareness and research after both of her children were found to have autism spectrum disorders. Another spoke of serving each week on a suicide prevention hotline, while someone else described participating in a Habitat build in Uzbekistan. A volunteer with the homeless shared that her own brother has experienced homelessness. These employees from across the globe discovered their common bond – a passion and drive to create change in their communities.
Creating Impact
- More than 500 Gap Inc. employees have gone on Community Corps trips since the program’s launch in 2000.
- More than 30 houses have been built through the program.
A unique and unforgettable experience
Participants often describe the Community Corps trip as life-changing. The builds are physically demanding, requiring a high level of teamwork as they lay foundations, put up roofs and raise walls — but they’re especially rewarding, because participants can see the fruits of their labors in real time, and even witness the impact on the family who will live in the house they are building together.
“I’ll be honest, I cried a little on my way to the airport. This experience has been, hands-down, the best of my life,” says Dee Ann Hairgrove, copywriter, BananaRepublic.com. “I am already making plans to do it again.”
Participant experiences – as well as their photos and videos – resonate with many other employees at Gap Inc. While Community Corps was established to recognize volunteers, it also serves another purpose: inspiring others to get involved in their communities.
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Give forward
Don’t just give back – give forward. Gap Inc. employees can learn how to invest in their communities at www.bewhatspossible.com.