'Pay It Forward' effort starts among businesses

Every employee of The Applied Companies in Reno volunteered last week to spend a lunch hour preparing 200 food packs for hungry children in the region.

Successful as the event may have been, organizers of the effort "Pay It Forward" hope to see similar volunteer efforts across the business community this spring and summer.

Volunteers at The Applied Companies, a staffing and human resources firm, packed energy bars, cereal, fruit cups and boxed drinks to be distributed through the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

The Food Bank sends the items home on Friday afternoons with schoolchildren who are homeless or living in motels to ensure they have enough to eat during the weekend.

Each employee of The Applied Companies has been encouraged to organize three more of the Pay It Forward parties at other businesses or community groups. And each participant at those events, in turn, will be asked to organize three more perhaps even with business competitors.

Businesses are likely to find the events provide team-building in a rewarding atmosphere, said Robert Bauer, president of the not-for-profit Pay It Forward Parties. His wife, Lesslie, is a member of The Applied Companies staff.

The organization provides support to businesses that decide to host an event. (See www.site.pifparties.org for more details.)

Celeste Peterson, manager of the Professional Employer Organization at The Applied Companies, said a structured event provides an important charitable opportunity for employees.

"People want to volunteer, but they don't know where to start," Peterson said.

The Applied Companies purchased the food items that were packed by its employees last week, although Bauer said other companies may ask employees to purchase items from the Food Bank's list and bring them to a food-pack event.

The Food Bank said campaigns such as the Pay It Forward events are particularly important as food donations often decline after the holiday season.

But the need remains.

"The truth is there are still layoffs in the community, businesses are closing and people aren't working full work weeks," said Doris Phelps, chief marketing and philanthropy office for the Food Bank.