H. J. High’s core purpose is to revitalize and develop the communities we serve. One of the ways we do this is by encouraging our employees to participate in local community organizations and contribute to local charities.
Near the end of 2007, we began an initiative to promote H. J. High’s charitable involvement as a company. We specifically wanted the effort to be employee driven: selected, organized and executed by the employees, with little to no direction from the company executives. What resulted was a program that our employees enthusiastically embraced and implemented. This is not an effort to donate money, but an effort to donate labor to worthy causes while at the same time uniting our employees behind a good cause.
At the end of each year we solicit suggestions from employees as to what charities we should support in the upcoming year. Employees “sponsor” the charity of their choice, preparing a brief presentation in front of the entire company explaining the mission of their chosen charity and why they believe that mission is worthwhile. After the presentations are complete, our employees vote for the three charities they want the company to support that year. The votes are tallied, and the top three become our adopted charities for the upcoming year.
During the course of that year, we work with the charity to identify their needs and how our employees’ talents can best be utilized. On each prescribed charity work day, H. J. High closes our office so that each employee has the opportunity to contribute.
Our past charity events have included:
- The Russell Home for Atypical Children
- Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando Area
- Susan G. Komen for the Cure
- Florida United Methodist Children’s Home
- Grace Medical Home
- Center for Independent Living
- Sunshine Foundation
- Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida
- Camp Boggy Creek
- Quest, Inc.
- Pet Rescue By Judy
- The Nature Conservancy
- Hailey’s Hopes & Hugs Foundation
- Nathaniel’s Hope