Greg:   The views and opinions of the guests of the Me You Us podcast do not represent the views and opinions of Consumers Energy.

Greg:   Greetings everyone, and welcome to Me You Us a wellbeing podcast.

Greg:   Carrie Schneider It is so great to have you here on the podcast talking about all the great things that you and your team do here at the company. So first off, let's just introduce you and tell us a little bit about, you know, what you do at the company, your title and kind of anything else you want to share with our listeners.

Carrie: Well, first and foremost, Greg, thank you for inviting me to join you. Such a pleasure. You and I came in to the company at the same time. A lot has changed. Yeah, 27.

Greg:   27 years. Yes. We came in the door at the same time.

Carrie: Yeah, exactly. The majority of my career was spent managing our companies grassroots programs and our employee run political action committee Employees for Better Government, which you know all too well.

Greg:   Yes, I do.

Carrie: But the last almost ten years, I've been working in Corporate Giving with our beloved leader, Carolyn Bloodworth, who retired last August after a 42 year tenure. I guess I could probably sum up my role in two words, and that is mobilizing hope.

Greg:   I love that. Mobilizing hope. Towards the end of last year, 2023, I was walking out of the building, and I don't know if you remember this, but you and your crew, you and your team were filling up gift boxes downstairs on the first floor. What I saw were boxes of gifts that were going out to various places. And I knew they were going to make someone's day.

Greg:   So I said, we've got to get Carrie on to talk about that program because there's there's such a need. And then as I was thinking about it and I'll turn it back to you, but there's always more to do. There's always a need. And sometimes we think about it, you know, just around certain times of the year, which is fine.

Greg:   But I think you would say there's always a need, there's always more to do. So maybe you can talk a little bit about the needs and kind of how the programs you help manage kind of address those.

Carrie: So our communities and customers that we serve are struggling. They're struggling to make ends meet just for basic necessities. So I'm not talking about holding off on upgrading a smartphone like you and I might do or not purchasing a vehicle with all of the bells and whistles. I'm talking about customers who right now are homeless. They don't know where their next meal is going to come from.

Carrie: They have a terminally ill spouse or child but have no health care, or they finally secured employment but have no transportation because their only vehicle requires major repairs that they can't afford. Every community is unique and potentially has different needs, but all communities are challenged with financial instability and food insecurities at some level, particularly amongst marginalized and underrepresented people.

Carrie: So thinking about basic needs that most of us take for granted, like housing, food, clothing, electricity, gas, transportation, childcare, health care, which also includes mental health. So those are the Herculean struggles that communities all across Michigan are facing Greg:.

Greg:   Wow. You know, when you say it like that, I know that there's there's quite the challenge out there. So there are all kinds of needs. You mentioned financial and there's just a list of needs for and and ways that people need help. So we offer a number of different programs. What did I see downstairs? What were you guys working on?

Greg:   Because that was that was really just wonderful to see all the effort going into the gift wrapping and making someone's day.

Carrie: Well, for starters, there are 59,000 nonprofits that are registered in Michigan alone. So last year, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, its employees and retirees contributed millions of dollars to over 700 of those Michigan nonprofits. The dollars were disbursed through grants awarded directly to nonprofits, but as well as in support of employee and retiree volunteerism through volunteer grants and matching gifts.

Carrie: So as you mentioned, we do have three employee retiree giving programs. The first is matching gifts, which supports employees and retirees who make personal charitable donations to eligible charities of $25 or more and up to $1,000 per employee or retiree in the calendar year. And their donations are matched dollar for dollar so as long as they are benefiting organization is a US based nonprofit with an active 501c3 tax status.

Carrie: The second program is our volunteer investment program or VIP, as our employees are used to calling it. This supports employees and retirees who volunteer 20 plus hours in a calendar year. Volunteers log their hours in our CE volunteer portal and are eligible for grant dollars ranging anywhere from $100 to $5000 per calendar year. Again, so long as the benefiting organization is a US based nonprofit with an active 501c3 tax status.

Carrie: And then lastly, Greg, is our Caring for Community grant, which supports groups of five or more employees and retirees who volunteer together to assist a nonprofit. The event must be entered into the CE volunteer portal, so the volunteer hours will be recognized and a $250 caring for community grant will be awarded. And just in case listeners aren't aware, the CE volunteer portal can be accessed through Connect's My Application tab on the main page, and there are many tutorials that will walk employees through how to utilize this easy quick one stop tool.

Greg:   Outstanding. Outstanding. When you mentioned $5,000 that could go to an organization that can mean the difference between them continuing their mission or closing the doors. So I would imagine that that's a significant impact to certain organizations around the state. So maybe you could talk a little bit about what you've seen or maybe some of your proudest moments.

Carrie: So you are absolutely right. We receive letters of thanks all year long from organizations that, if not for the selflessness of our employees who volunteer, who who secure the grants, their doors would be closed or their programs would no longer be open. So, you know, I remember he's retired now, but he had volunteered for a very long time for his child's soccer program.

Carrie: And we would receive every single year, a thank you note from that coach thanking us and letting us know that those dollars mean that those children get a pad up every every week and they get to do all the things that kids should be able to do. There's so much that is learned through sports. It's not just about kicking a ball or hitting a ball.

Carrie: And so it made us very proud to know that, number one, our employee cared enough to go the extra mile to ensure that not only his child, but other parent's children were able to participate in sports. And I think, you know, there are so many proud moments. You can't possibly do what I do and not find yourself very proud of your coworkers and the enormous impact that we all have on the communities we serve.

Carrie: But there certainly are a few that float to the top of the list. The first, I would have to say is our employee support of our annual United Way campaign. In just two weeks last fall, we raised almost $620,000 for United Way agencies across Michigan. And that's nothing to sneeze at. That means relief for many of the customers that I referenced earlier who are struggling with basic needs, but in particular those who fall into the ALICE population.

Carrie: And for those who don't know what ALICE stands for, it's asset limited, income constrained, employed. So as ALICE households earn just above the federal poverty level, but less than what is needed to make ends meet. 4 million households in Michigan, which is roughly 40% of Michiganders, have income that is below the ALICE threshold of financial survival. That is a huge gap and one that is very real for so many of our customers.

Carrie: I would say another bright moment was bringing back the Coney Challenge as a United Way fundraiser in Jackson. The event itself had been on a five year hiatus, but I took a huge leap of faith and put my trust in to Brian Rich. He he promised that he would bring it across the finish line, and he absolutely did.

Carrie: You can't help but get excited when he's excited. He's just that kind of leader. But he was right. He absolutely was right. We raised over $14,000 in less than an hour's time. The final two are what you referenced, which happened right at the end of last year. And every year in December, the Jackson work locations, they adopt families and they donate toys.

Carrie: And we've done that for as long as I can remember. Both efforts are through a partnership with the Salvation Army, and since COVID, it had been very difficult to garner the kind of support that this community really needed because so many of our coworkers were working from home. But this year, our colleagues came out in full force. Over 240 individuals, which was 82 families, were adopted this year by Jackson employees, and over 1300 toys were donated for local families.

Carrie: So thanks to the generosity of so many of our Jackson colleagues, we gifted the joy of Christmas to hundreds and hundreds of families, families that won't ever be able to say thank you, but I sure can. My heart is still overflowing with pride and gratitude.

Greg:   You know, you mentioned the ALICE and I'm thankful that you kind of define that for us. But that 40% number is so staggering that it's just it's just it's just mind boggling when you think about the 40% and, you know, the 10 million residents plus of Michigan. So the need is ever present. There's always something we can do to help.

Greg:   And so I want to kind of transition into that. What are some ways and you've listed a lot and maybe you can talk about some things we can do in between those big events that really can make a difference.

Carrie: Yeah, I thought you'd never ask. Exactly. You hit the nail on the head. Volunteer, please volunteer. There's no time requirement. There's no expertise needed. And frankly, I brag about our coworkers often because I feel that we have the most giving employees here at Consumers Energy, CMS, Energy, North Star. So let us help you have an even bigger impact on the nonprofit that you care most about.

Carrie: Log your personal volunteer hours into the portal. Sign up to participate in a corporate sponsored event. Again, on the portal and help your department or work team organize a volunteer event as a group in the community and add it to the portal. All three of those things could easily secure much needed grant dollars for a nonprofit partner and for the community that the nonprofit partner supports.

Carrie: If you have any questions, you can reach out to me directly or to our team by emailing us at P.O. Box Volunteers. So there are so many ways to get involved. There are so many organizations, and I know that it can be very intimidating. And I know that our employees are strapped for time, but send me an email.

Carrie: I will find a perfect fit. I will make sure that you have a wonderful experience. We have amazing relationships with our nonprofit partners across the state. They are so eager to have us. And just as a reminder, when our employees go into these nonprofits and they assist them with whatever it is, it could be something as simple as doing a load of laundry for a shelter, serving meals at lunch.

Greg:   Stuffing envelopes.

Carrie: Stuffing envelopes, whatever that is. That selfless act is saving that nonprofit $30 an hour. So there is an economy impact that we have on our communities that I think sometimes gets lost that employees don't necessarily understand that they're not only serving the community through their selfless act, but they are also saving that organization money that can now be used to provide those basic service needs.

Greg:   Absolutely. Absolutely. That's a wonderful point made. So as we look to the start of the year, what's hot for you in the next couple of months? What are you guys looking at? I know you're a planner, so you've probably got the year already planned out. But what do you got for at least the first quarter? What's big and the volunteer space here at the company?

Carrie: Well, I am just very much looking forward to building upon our strong working relationships with all of the BERGs and our green teams to create more volunteer opportunities for our coworkers and for us to have an even bigger impact and presence in our communities, particularly as we focus on environmental justice, which is something which is very, very important for us and for the communities.

Greg:   So glad you mention the BERGs the business employee resource groups. They do a fantastic job and this is such a great way of networking and getting involved in the community. So I'm so glad you connect the dots because they're at the forefront of some of those events as well. So they can get our employees and others plugged in to those events.

Greg:   So they do a fantastic job the co-chairs, the chairs, the leaders. So it's a wonderful way to get involved here at the company.

Carrie: Absolutely. And any time that we have ever raised the white flag to say I am in need of how can you please assist, they jump in. They roll their sleeves up. I can't tell you the number of times that Dietrich has come to my aid personally. Just it is obviously our employees that are involved with the BERGs and the green teams.

Carrie: They they already have a full plate, and yet they're going the extra mile. And you're right, there are other outcomes that you get from being part of those teams, but a lot of selflessness

Greg:   Absolutely.

Carrie: is required. And I just I appreciate them so much. We couldn't do the work that we do without those relationships and aligning on our goals.

Greg:   Thank you, Carrie. You know, as we as we wrap up our discussion here, you know, what I feel is just this sense of just gratitude and joy that I think you have for the role that you and your team get to play in our community. And just I got to believe it's very fulfilling to know the impact that you continue to make and that the need is still there and you're continuing to find ways to lessen that need to address that need to give to the citizens, to our to our customers and to our Michigan residents.

Greg:   So any final goodbye, any final words of goodbye and we're this isn't goodbye for we're going to have you back on at some point and talk about your successes throughout 2024 and any way that we can help generate support. But I'll give you the last word, my friend. And thank you so much. Happy New Year to you. And thank you so much for taking time today to be on the podcast.

Carrie: Thanks, Greg. I would just like to say thank you to all of our coworkers who show up for the communities that we all serve. You share your hearts and you shine your light, your selfless acts of kindness are not forgotten. Our corporate giving team strongly believes in what Robert Ingersoll once said, and that is we rise by lifting others.

Carrie: I look forward to seeing all of you wearing our blue, caring for community volunteer shirts in our communities, lifting others up and spreading hope.

Greg:   Absolutely, my friend. Well said. Thank you, Carrie. See you soon, my friend. Take care.

Carrie: Thanks, Greg. Take care.

Greg:   Until we connect again. take care of yourself, your family, and our community. See you soon.