Conventioneers pitch in at Second Harvest Food Bank
02/12/2009 by Max Marbut Staff Writer Monday was one of those “Chamber of Commerce days.” It would have been a perfect afternoon for a round of golf, a trip to the beach or some time on a fishing boat. That’s usually how people who come to Jacksonville for a national business conference look at things. But a group of financial advisors from Nationwide Retirement Plans and Nationwide Retirement Solutions looked at the afternoon in a different way. They spent the afternoon stocking shelves and filling boxes at the Second Harvest Food Bank.One of the volunteers was Matt Riebel, COO of Nationwide Retirement Plans and president of the Retirement Solutions division. He said the volunteer effort is an integral part of Nationwide’s annual conference. “The first time we did it was two years ago when we met in New Orleans,” he said. “We helped rebuild a park that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Last year we cleaned up and planted a garden in a vacant lot in a neighborhood in Baltimore.” The volunteers made arrangements to arrive a little early, since the Second Harvest project was scheduled for Monday afternoon before the opening session of the conference convened that evening. The afternoon at the food bank was part of the overall meeting planning process, said Nicole Hernandez of Destination Planning Corporation. The company takes care of arranging outside activities for groups who hold meetings at the Hyatt, where Nationwide held its national gathering this year. She said companies asking for community service opportunities at meeting sites is a growing trend. “Many corporate groups ask us to set up a community service activity these days,” said Hernandez. “Especially with the current economic hardships, they want to make a contribution. It’s one thing for a group of people to go on a golf outing, but it’s another thing entirely when they decide to help the community where they are having their meeting. It’s nice to see companies getting involved like this.” Nationwide has also adopted another local organization in a unique way. Riebel said the required dress code for the conference is business casual, but for a donation of $20 or more to the local USO, it’s jeans all week. He said the tradition of volunteerism was started and has continued for a variety of reasons. Riebel pointed out that most companies perform some type of community service and Nationwide is no different. “It’s part of who we are at Nationwide,” he said. “Our people do a lot of service work in the communities where they live. We have all been blessed in our lives and feel a responsibility to give something back. “It also creates a special kind of bond within our group. Volunteering for community service when we’re at a national conference is much more meaningful than playing a round of golf or going on a fishing trip.” mmarbut@baileypub.com 356-2466
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