We’re pleased to introduce guest blogger Barbara Barnard, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CWT North America, to share some exciting news CWT recently received.

As a traveler, you’ve had the opportunity to visit new cities, meet new people, and maybe even get involved in different communities. As you’ve seen covered on this blog before, CWT in 2011 partnered with Habitat for Humanity to shift the focus of our annual client event toward a greater purpose than just getting together and having a good time.

The interactive event allowed participants to make their mark on a Habitat house CWT was supporting, including the chance to meet the local Denver family who would soon live there. (The family, Miriam and her children, were an inspiration to all of us at CWT. You can meet them too, by clicking here.) That house is now completed, and the family is enjoying a safe, healthy environment they can call home.

But while the house is complete, the celebration continues. We’re excited to announce that CWT’s “Impact on the Gridiron” event has been named as one of four finalists for PR News’ CSR Awards in the event category! We’ll find out in a few months whether we’ve won, but honestly, we’re just excited that the passion and hard work of our employees, event sponsors, and Habitat for Humanity have been recognized more broadly by CSR professionals. And, we’re honored to be among a truly amazing group of nominees which include renowned companies as Coca Cola, The Walt Disney Company, Best Buy, and many more. We’re proud of the focus CWT has put on corporate social responsibility, and we hope that at least one person who hears about our efforts might be inspired to become more active in their own community.

Of course, one of the greatest rewards for being a part of a socially responsible company is knowing that your organization cares about making a difference. Not just on our bottom line, but in our community, on our environment, and in the individual lives of our neighbors near and far.

What’s the most rewarding experience you’ve had while giving back to your community or a community to which you’ve traveled? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below. And if you’re interested in getting involved with Habitat for Humanity in your local community, check out their website here.

At my previous employer, I had participated in Habitat for Humanity several times by building homes within the city of Chicago.  It is sometimes very tough for us to find ways to participate in our community where we feel we are not only contributing but actually experiencing the result.  Fundraising is sometimes tough because you rarely know or see where that money goes to.

I like Habitat because you’re really getting involved in impacting a member of your community, whether it’s down the block or miles from where you live.  Plus, the family that will live there is working right next to you, which gives you the feeling that not only are they grateful for you to be there but for the opportunity they are working to gain.

As a woman, I didn’t always have the best understanding of construction “lingo.” This is a great crash course for the next time you run into a contractor.

Giving back isn’t just important to me, but to many of my colleagues and to CWT overall as well – so much so that we’re making it the focus of our biggest client event of the year, which takes place next week in Denver. We’re supporting the construction of a Habitat for Humanity home for a local family, and enabling our clients to leave their mark on the house while still having a great time as we take over Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos. We kicked things off in July with a ribbon cutting ceremony, and construction will wrap up on the home in October.

We’ll have lots more video and photos from the event to share, so check back here soon, and watch for more information on this effort on the blog. Or, for information on how you can participate in Habitat in your local community, view their site here.

Does anyone have some great volunteer stories to share?