Herman Miller Employees Donate Time

More than 100 of the company's employees traveled to Alexandria, VA to help six non-profit organizations in the city. As part of a Herman Miller conference, Alexandria benefitted from a staff volunteer day. Rebuilding Together Alexandria (RTA) orchestrated various volunteer projects at non-profits, from playing games with seniors and painting to landscaping and interacting with children.

“To be a part of the community means you roll up your sleeves and work with neighboring organizations to help make the lives of those they serve better,” said Katharine Medina, executive director of RTA. “Through these efforts, [the] Herman Miller volunteers were able to positively impact thousands of Alexandria residents.”

Herman Miller volunteers completed projects for ALIVE, the Art League, Community Lodgings, the Boys & Girls Club, the Seaport Foundation, and the St. Martin de Porres Senior Center. Whether they were gardening and mulching or playing Bingo with the seniors, the volunteers expressed their enjoyment of participating in the activities.

“We had a lot of fun working with the non-profits and hopefully made a dent in the work that each of these agencies need. We like to give back in communities where we’re hosting a conference and it was wonderful to be able to work at so many facilities in Alexandria that needed our help,” said Sally Gruppen of Herman Miller. In addition, many of the individual volunteers, as well as Herman Miller, made donations to the non-profit at which they volunteered.

RTA and its volunteers assisted 91 homeowners and non-profit agencies this year. Whether it is plumbing, electrical work, or general handyman jobs, nearly 800 volunteers annually make a difference in their neighborhoods.

About Herman Miller, Inc.
The designs and services of Herman Miller enhance the performance of human habitats worldwide. The company's award-winning products, complemented by furniture management and strategic consulting services, generated more than $2 billion in revenue during fiscal 2008.

About Rebuilding Together Alexandria (RTA)
Over the past 21 years, RTA has partnered with hundreds of volunteers to repair more than 1,000 homes in the City of Alexandria. Rebuilding Together Alexandria works year-round to repair and revitalize homes for homeowners in need, including elderly, disabled and families with children. RTA also takes groups of volunteers to the Gulf to rebuild homes destroyed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Kimball Office Donates To Chicago Lighthouse

The $10,000 gift from the office furniture manufacturer will help support 24 programs for visually impaired children and adults. Chicago Lighthouse is a social service agency dedicated to assisting people with visual challenges. Programs offered include the nation’s oldest low vision clinic, a nationally acclaimed school for children with multi-disabilities, and a legal clinic helping blind people fight discrimination.

The gift from Kimball Office was part of its “See People at Work” activities during the recent NeoCon trade show in Chicago. The company notes that the amount of the gift was made possible, in part, by the record number of designers and facility managers who visited its Wells Street showroom. Kimball Office donated $10 for every scanned visitor.

"All of us here at the Chicago Lighthouse appreciate this very generous donation from Kimball Office. It will assist our efforts in helping people who are blind or visually impaired lead richer, more independent lives,” says Lighthouse public relations director, Dominic Calabrese.

“Respect, dignity and service are among our core values,” says Jeff Fenwick, vice president/ general manager, Kimball Office. “We’re honored to be able to support the Chicago Lighthouse in giving Chicagoland’s visually impaired children and adults the skills they need to be valued members of the community.”