Colorado Springs – On Friday, Weidner Apartment Homes temporarily shut down its offices so that more than 80 employees could devote a full day to volunteer service at the Catholic Charities Hunt Family Campus. The effort focused on essential property‑maintenance tasks that would otherwise have required the nonprofit to spend money on contractors.
Early start and enthusiastic turnout
Volunteers arrived on the campus as early as 6 a.m., ready to begin work on landscaping, grading, irrigation and painting projects. Rochelle Schlortt, chief communications officer for Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, praised the early start, saying, “6 a.m., they’ve been here since 6 a.m.! I don’t think we can express enough gratitude. This is amazing.”
Skilled labor applied to real needs
Regional director Miles Diaz described the range of tasks his team completed: “All of our team members are out here for a day of service. So we’ve been shoveling bark, mulch, doing landscape work in the flowerbeds, laying down lots of gravel and rock. We did a grading and irrigation drainage project and lots of painting.” The work addressed both aesthetic and functional concerns, improving drainage and reducing future repair costs for the nonprofit.
Financial relief for a large nonprofit campus
Schlrt noted that the campus’s size means routine upkeep can be a significant expense. “When you have a large campus, there’s always things that happen. And when you have an organization that comes in and they fix so many of your little problems, it’s more money that goes directly into the program.” By providing free labor, Weidner helped Catholic Charities allocate more of its budget to direct services for families in need.
Employee reflections on service
Weidner staff member Jenny Fach said the experience reinforced the company’s culture of giving back: “To see everybody be able to use their skills and their passion to actually give back and make such a change. It’s been cool to see everybody have fun and take a day off to give back.” The company’s leadership highlighted the event as an example of corporate stewardship rooted in Christian values and a commitment to the community.
Impact on the broader community
The partnership between a local property‑management firm and a faith‑based nonprofit illustrates how businesses can leverage their workforce to support charitable missions. By addressing maintenance needs directly, the volunteers not only saved Catholic Charities money but also ensured that the Hunt Family Campus remains a safe, welcoming environment for the families it serves.
Weidner Apartment Homes plans to explore additional volunteer opportunities in the future, emphasizing the belief that skilled labor is a valuable resource for community improvement when directed toward worthy causes.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
