The Louisiana Loyal Service Project

LWCC is Louisiana Loyal. Always. More than a tagline, it’s a movement to celebrate and elevate Louisiana that drives our organization to better Louisiana one business and one worker at a time. Steadfast in our purpose of helping Louisiana thrive, we believe that we have a duty to make a significant contribution to our state through deliberate action such as service and volunteering. The Louisiana Loyal Service Project is a direct reflection of this, providing employees an opportunity to make a difference in our local community.

The Louisiana Loyal Service Project is a collaboration between LWCC’s Corporate Citizenship Committee and Human Resources Team that brings employees together to capitalize on the company’s Volunteer Time Off (VTO) incentive program. Through the program, LWCC provides eight hours of paid volunteer time off on an annual basis to each employee. The service project strives to provide opportunities for employees to engage outside of business hours if they have already utilized their VTO prior to the service project.

After reviewing applications submitted by employees, the Corporate Citizenship Committee chose Front Yard Bikes as the service project recipient for 2020.

Front Yard Bikes is a community bike shop located in Baton Rouge that focuses on teaching participants of all ages how to fix and maintain bikes, as part of a safe, free after-school program. In addition, Front Yard Bikes aids in enhancing participants’ skills in math, physics, and mechanics, while also promoting inclusivity, mentorship, recreation, and academic achievement. The heart of the program is motivated by compassion for kids from low-income families that are willing to work for what they get. From August 2019-2020, Front Yard Bikes engaged 485 students, many of whom live in the 70802 and Gardere area of Baton Rouge, but recently the program has served kids dislocated from other areas due to hurricane damage.

LWCC kicked off our inaugural Louisiana Loyal Service Project on December 5, 2020. Participants got their hands dirty while still following COVID guidelines, working in groups of 10 and wearing masks as they assisted with gardening projects and facility clean up.

“It was inspiring to see the students from Front Yard Bikes roll up their sleeves and join us in this project. You can tell how much the organization means to them and how grateful they are for the opportunities it provides. It made our part in the project even more meaningful and showed the impact of our efforts.” -Seth Irby, SVP, Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer

Those employees who took part in the project were grateful for the experience of coming together for a greater purpose. When asked about their participation, employees expressed the value they felt the project held.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to help Front Yard Bikes and the youth they work with. It was great to be able to give back to a local organization that directly helps kids in our area. It was humbling to see employees from all levels working together in this one shared goal.” – Weslee Meador, Facilities Manager

Due to state mandated COVID-related restrictions, the service project was unable to complete the full scope of work intended for the project. Moving forward, Front Yard Bikes will remain the focus of the service project for 2022.