Winnebago Industries Inc. last Tuesday (July 15) hosted a high-profile “panel build” for Habitat for Humanity in Middlebury, Ind., according to Friday’s edition of The Goshen News.
“We really enjoy our partnership with Habitat for Humanity,” said Chelsea Kreigh, regional community impact partner for Winnebago, an Eden Prairie, Minn.-based RV and marine OEM.
This panel build actually marked Winnebago’s seventh year as a Habitat home sponsor, dating back to 2018 and continuing the publicly held company’s tradition of investing in affordable housing and empowering families through safe, stable homeownership, a press release from Habitat for Humanity indicated.
Behind the scenes, said Kreigh, is Winnebago’s “Community Go Committee,” which oversees community engagement and the volunteer side of things in an effort to spur volunteerism on behalf of the company’s employees, reported Dani Messick of The Goshen News.
“This is something that they do during working hours, but also outside of work,” she added. “They put a lot of hours into it — just to see the employees get involved in something beyond work.”
The program began in Indiana at Newmar Inc., now a division of Winnebago, and reportedly expanded from there. “I think it’s getting people excited,” noted Kreigh. “It’s getting people involved.”
With employees involved from each of Winnebago’s Indiana-based brands, including Newmar, Barletta (boats), Grand Design and Winnebago Towables, a team of 50 volunteers worked together in this case for the construction of both the interior and exterior walls for the future home of Carmen Calderon, a hard-working single mother who is onsite helping to build her new home.
“It gives our employees a chance to just kind of pause,” Kreigh said. “I know we have work to do, but let’s pause it for a day and let’s go do something that makes us feel good that helps give back to the community where we live, work and play. There’s a feeling and an energy about it when we’re all there together and it strengthens our teamwork for sure.”
Kreigh said Winnebago works closely with Habitat to organize, set up and garner the number of needed volunteers for each event. “I feel like when we go back to work, you feel closer as a team,” she added. “I hope to expand it more.”
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