Schaumburg business leaders talk about volunteerism

Volunteers, like corporate America, are forced to do “more with less,” Christine Smith, chief operating officer of HandsOn Suburban Chicago, told business leaders at today’s Good Morning Schaumburg breakfast.

Smith talked to the business community about the importance of volunteering and giving back.

“In a difficult economy in which nonprofits are struggling to survive, there is a need for skilled-based volunteers,” said Tonya Lamia, president of the Schaumburg Business Association.

About 75 people attended the breakfast at Chandler’s Banquets in Schaumburg, where Smith spoke about “coming together, both before and after 9-11.” Arlington Heights-based HandsOn Suburban Chicago, formerly The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago, has worked for more than 40 years connecting people, businesses and nonprofits with volunteer resources needed to make an impact on the community.

The recent re-branding allows the organization to bring more national resources to the area, integrate new technology and serve more nonprofit agencies and schools, Smith said.

Tuesday’s topic was timely, Lamia said. The return on the investment of “giving back” was tied into the 10th anniversary of the events of Sept. 11.

“Chris told the audience that it was what happened on Sept. 12 that matters. So many people came together,” Lamia said.

The SBA was also celebrating its 10-year anniversary Tuesday. The organization held its first meeting in late September 2001, Lamia said.

“The main message today was that everyone can be involved in a volunteer organization and make a difference,” she added.

Nonprofits are struggling. “The leaders of these organizations are operating in a survival mode,” she said.