Help for volunteers

The Nov. 8 article Volunteering through work isn't always voluntary raised important issues concerning corporate volunteerism. The difficulty in balancing the desire to volunteer with busy work and personal lives is precisely why volunteer opportunities during work hours are the ideal solution for both businesses and employees.

This balance is why New York business executive Arthur Tannenbaum founded Everybody Wins! in 1991 as a way to engage corporate employees as literacy volunteers without asking them to sacrifice their evenings or weekends. Almost 6,000 volunteers in 15 states participate in Power Lunch, which pairs volunteer-reading mentors from local companies and organizations with elementary-school students for lunch-time reading.

Companies and organizations gain recognition for their involvement and report improved employee morale and teamwork among their employees who volunteer.

Everybody Wins! manages a large-scale volunteer program, including pairing companies with nearby schools, providing an orientation in their offices and hiring a coordinator to ensure that the program runs smoothly.

The organization has launched its newest affiliate in South Florida. More information is available at www.everybodywinssouth florida.org

JULIE KATZ, Miami