InCheck employees work hard every day to create unrivaled experiences for our clients and their candidates. However, their work doesn’t stop when the day ends. Each month, we will spotlight an InCheck employee who volunteers their time in the community.
Tell us about the organization you volunteer with and how you got involved.
I am a member of TEMPO Emerging Women Leaders (EWL). TEMPO is a professional organization for women who hold CEO, executive, and leadership positions, and EWL supports new, rising leaders by providing mentoring and professional development opportunities.
As I advanced in my career at InCheck, I was seeking opportunities to connect with professional women leaders in order to gain insights into the unique experiences and perspectives of women peers and mentors. I met with a friend from high school who suggested I join TEMPO EWL and offered to nominate me. I was accepted into the organization in late 2018. During the introductory meeting, the community involvement committee’s volunteering opportunities really resonated with me. I had been active in volunteering in high school and college and thought this would provide a framework for me to become active in volunteering once again.
About two years into my membership, I was asked to be the community involvement committee’s vice-chair and have been in that role since the beginning of 2021. With some members expressing the desire to find safe ways to gather in person for our meetings, we implemented in-person meetings that also doubled as a volunteer activity. Our first few in-person meetings included trash cleanup along the Oak Leaf Trail and sorting and packing food at Feeding America for shipment to local food banks. It was such a great experience to meet like-minded women while giving back to our community.
This year, we did a professional clothing drive for Carmen schools, in conjunction with a series of virtual mock interviews with their 9th-grade students. It was a great opportunity to support the professional development of these students.
What makes this volunteer experience meaningful to you?
I joined TEMPO EWL to build a network of professional women in the Milwaukee area. It has been an incredible privilege to build relationships with TEMPO and TEMPO EWL members. We are an organization committed to furthering the impact of women leaders in our community. So being able to expand this networking opportunity into a volunteering opportunity, where I could not only support other women leaders but also support our local community, just felt right.
While we participate in many different volunteer activities, we mainly focus on partnering with organizations serving women and children. Women are more likely to experience food insecurity and carry the burden of childcare. It’s so meaningful to me to support organizations that support women, children, and families. I recently read Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Throughout the book, she states, “There is no such thing as other people’s children.” That not only resonated with me but nearly moved me to tears. Our children need support from the entire community. It takes a village!
What has been a memorable accomplishment of your volunteer experience with TEMPO EWL?
Our 2020 Season of Giving was a highlight for me. We selected four non-profit organizations to provide members with different ways to give at varying price points. I led the initiative to work with the Cathedral Center. We also supported The Journey House, The Women’s Center, and Life Navigators. We created options for members to donate in whichever way they felt comfortable: order for direct shipment via the organizations’ Amazon Wish Lists or contactless delivery to the Community Involvement Committee at Explorium Brewpub. All donors comfortable staying for a socially distanced beer received a token for a free beer, courtesy of Explorium Brewpub! I really enjoyed being part of such a successful donation drive and I was amazed by the generosity of our members!
Why do you enjoy volunteering?
I enjoy it because it’s something I was raised doing and always felt good about doing. As a family, we would do volunteer activities, especially around the holidays. My high school had minimum service hours that students were required to meet, so volunteering was part of my extracurriculars. When I went away to college, I discovered opportunities to volunteer within my new community.
My parents raised me to understand the privileges I have and the importance of giving back to my community. Volunteering almost feels like a way to say “thank you” for all the opportunities I’ve had throughout my life. And selfishly, it feels good to be able to offer my skills, resources, and time to a good cause! I am grateful for the connections I’ve made through my volunteer work, especially with individuals I may not have otherwise met in my professional and personal life.
Rachel Morafcik is InCheck’s Chief Operations Officer. You can learn more about her here.