All of our Staff Members are given the opportunity to participate in community service projects. These projects provide an opportunity for Staff to work together as a group while contributing to their communities, and they often include Staff family members. The level of involvement is an individual choice for the employee. Although the entire staff is involved in the process of selecting community service projects and making suggestions for the degree of company involvement, the special contribution of our Community Affairs Coordinator, Roxanne E. keeps every project running smoothly.
It has been our privilege to work with some organizations over several years, and our staff has enjoyed getting to know both clients and staff of these fine Twin Cities community service associations.
Staff member Tom W. coordinates an annual holiday gift drive to “Sponsor A Family”. Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities sponsor this important event that brightens the holiday season for both shoppers and gift recipients alike. Staff members shop for gifts for adults and children who might not otherwise receive them. Karlsson Consulting and Staff divide the costs "50/50" for the gifts purchased, and Karlsson also provides grocery gift certificates and wrapping paper.
In both May and October Karlsson Consulting volunteers, including Staff and family members, join forces to rake yards and wash windows for elderly homeowners served by the H.O.M.E Services program. After a morning of hard work, the team goes to lunch together. This has become a "twice a year" event for Karlsson Consulting Staff and family members, and it is both rewarding and enjoyable.
Karlsson Staff packs almost Birthday Bags for children at Karlsson's Spring Picnic each year. The bags, which were donated to Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (V.E.A.P.), contained stuffed animals, stickers coloring books treats and more! V.E.A.P. distributes the bags to children whose parents receive food at the Bloomington agency’s food shelf. Karlsson provided the funds for the bags, and Karlsson Staff purchased the gifts, packed the bags, and delivered them to V.E.A.P.
Karlsson Consulting Staff collected food and cash last winter to benefit people in need. These donations went to the Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (V.E.A.P.) food shelf. Karlsson matched the Staff contributions pound-for-dollar, as well as dollar-for-dollar.
Trading keyboards for cutting boards, Karlsson Staff and family members cooked a meal of pasta, fish, bread, vegetables and muffins at the Augsburg College kitchen as part of the Campus Kitchens program. We served this dinner to 200 men at a Minneapolis homeless shelter.
Each summer, Karlsson Staff leave their desk jobs for some manual labor to spruce up Episcopal Group Homes (EGH) in Wayzata. Our multi-talented group, dubbed “Team Terrific” by the EGH Executive Director tackles everything from painting, mulching, planting, weeding and general yard cleanup. The group home is always very appreciative of all the work done, and the Karlsson staff looks forward to seeing friends from the group home each year. After a morning of hard work, the team enjoys lunch at a Wayzata restaurant with EGH staff and residents.
Karlsson Consulting Staff has volunteered at Feed My Starving Children to pack meals containing rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutrient rich broth to be shipped overseas to starving kids. We have packaged thousands of meals in the years Karlsson has been volunteering at Feed My Starving Children. In addition Karlsson has contributed money to cover the cost of the food that we packed, and made a cash donation to help cover the cost of new equipment at the Eagan facility.
Karlsson fields a team of dedicated cyclists to ride in the MS 60/30 in the spring. Our team of Employees and family members generates pledges and matching contributions by Karlsson. Regardless of the weather, it’s a fun day of biking for a great cause.