Voices

Armanino holds firm-wide day of volunteering, 'The Great Give'

Armanino LLP, the largest independent accounting and business consulting firm based in California, will hold its community outreach program, "The Great Give," by closing its offices and sending employees into their communities to volunteer this Thursday.

The company-wide program, now in its seventh year, works with nonprofits to set up a variety of projects serving numerous communities.

"We regard it as a privilege to offer our time, talents and energy to giving something back to the communities that mean so much to us," stated Andy Armanino, managing partner of Armanino. "We are very much a part of the communities we serve, and it is rewarding for us to be able to offer our support in a meaningful way."

Armanino expects 425 participants this year, adding another 2,500 hours of service to the more than 12,000 hours donated since the Great Give launched in 2009. Volunteers' activities will range from cleaning, painting, and serving and preparing meals, to stocking shelves, sorting supplies, and interacting with seniors.

Started as a one-time event, the Great Give has become a yearly tradition that reaches farther each year. Employees themselves select which nonprofits they will spend the day helping.

This year, Armanino additionally embarked on the ongoing "30 by 30 Initiative," in which volunteers select a charitable organization, assemble and coordinate a project to support it and recruit fellow employees to join their team. Later, the team reports on its progress to the entire firm.

"Our growing participation speaks well of the commitment our employees demonstrate in caring for their communities," Armanino continued. "It shows we take pride in contributing to the places where we work and live."

Employees from Armanino's three Bay Area offices and its San Diego, Portland, Seattle and Chicago area offices will take on 24 projects benefiting these groups:

San Francisco Bay Area - Anka Behavioral Health, Antioch; Bentley School, Lafayette; Catholic Community of Pleasanton, Pleasanton; Eden Area YMCA, Hayward; Glide, San Francisco; Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, San Jose; Holy Spirit Church, Fremont; Institute on Aging, San Francisco; Sacred Heart Community Services, San Jose; Saint Patrick School, Rodeo; Saint Vincent's Day Home, Oakland; San Damiano Retreat, Danville; Santa Cruz Animal Shelter, Santa Cruz; Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, Berkeley; St. Joan of Arc, San Ramon; Saint Martin de Porres School, Oakland; St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County, Pittsburg ; St. Vincent De Paul of San Francisco, San Francisco; The Taylor Family Foundation, Livermore; Tri Valley YMCA, Dublin.

Chicago (Naperville) - Senior Home Sharing, and Community Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Naperville, Ill.

Portland - The Nature Conservancy, Portland

San Diego - San Diego Food Bank, San Diego

Seattle (Bellevue) - Operation Sack Lunch, Seattle

To follow Armanino's Great Give, use the #greatgive15 hashtag on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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