Read and share what these corporate volunteers have done to inspire your co-workers with ways to engage.

During American Express' last few "Make a Difference Months," volunteer groups in New York City, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Seattle served children in poverty. They worked on preparing school supplies for at-risk children as well as sorting product donations and stocking shelves.

Leading the team in 2006 was Senior Manager, Tene Raymonds. Ms. Raymonds expressed her group’s interest in working on projects that benefit children because they can't express their needs as effectively. In past years, employees have shared their personal experience with World Vision in their native lands.

World Vision is grateful to American Express and other companies for their generosity in giving their teams the opportunity to volunteer. The employees enjoy a wonderful time of team building as they’re reminded of the vast needs in their community.

• American Express employee toy drive with World Vision shows impoverished children they're special

  Toys and a warm meal.

  Many children across the United States were blessed this past holiday season through toy distributions coordinated at World Vision's Storehouses. American Express employees donated toys for 135 children in poor neighborhoods of New York and Chicago. Having given generously to World Vision through workplace campaigns and volunteered across the country, American Express employees wanted to join together in supporting children over the holiday season.
  
  World Vision staff in New York found hope when they helped to host a holiday party at a temporary housing shelter. At the end of the program each family came forward to receive the gifts that donors had provided. The smiles on the children's faces when they found the present with their name on it was proof that the joy and care that donors sent with the toys, had been received.
  
  

  World Vision staff, Kimala Franklin, with a family receiving gifts.

  Kimala Franklin, a World Vision staff member in Chicago, coordinated the efforts with community partners for two toy distributions, which blessed nearly 75 children. At a time of year when children are celebrating, many in poverty don't receive any gifts, so the toy donations served as a special demonstration of how they are personally cared for.

Microsoft's Community Affairs department participated in a team-building activity to assemble 300 Caregiver Kits. True to form, the team set a goal to race the clock and come out ahead of schedule, which of course they did. You could hear each person's expertise manifest as they couldn't help chatting about ways they'd tweak the system to improve efficiencies. Everyone enjoyed working together on something outside their daily routine and with such a tangible impact to help those volunteers caring for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Goldman Sachs executives and clients celebrated "Take Your Child To Work Day" in partnership with World Vision and the ONE Campaign. More than 100 people showed up in the Washington, D.C. office at Goldman Sachs to learn about the critical components of creating a movement and providing for those living in extreme poverty. Staff and families then assembled 350 Caregiver Kits to be sent overseas to support volunteers caring for people living with HIV & AIDS.

Washington Mutual

Troy Deason of UPS strongly encourages community service. Troy says “We are all going to be impacted by something we cannot handle by ourselves someday. Let's get involved and help others while we can and one day we will be receiving that same help from others.” Ten to 20 volunteers came from UPS to help at the distribution. “People are here from across the work groups that I never really got to know before.”

When asked what touched him most today, Troy said: “My daughter, on her own initiative, took a little four year old by the hand. He had been wandering around clutching a shirt that was way too big for him and she helped him find the right size. That’s the kind of thing you want to see your kids doing but this is the only way to really teach it."