Hosting its first year of Days of Service, Cardlytics employees dedicated time to various local nonprofit organizations around Atlanta. They spread the volunteer opportunities across two different work days and gave employees a chance to give back to one of the four charities.

Employees renovated and painted the exterior of two residential units and helping with minor repairs through Habitat for Humanity Brush with Kindness; sorted, organized, and packed food items and personal care products at Atlanta Community Food Bank; prepared the PAWS’ vet clinic for renovations, walked their dogs and played with cats; and ran activity sessions for senior citizen residents at A.G. Rhodes.

“Giving back is something we do all year, and most of the efforts are employee driven. The people that work for Cardlytics are very committed to strengthening their community. Activities like this not only allow Cardlytics employees to connect with the Atlanta community in a deeply personal, hands-on way, but also reinforce our culture of teamwork and expose more people to great organizations they may not already be aware of,” said Emily Willey, associate account manager, co-lead of the philanthropy committee.

“Having the volunteers here was fabulous!” said Nancy Longacre, executive director of PAWS Atlanta. “We need all kinds of help, so it was great that they rolled up their sleeves and got to work on projects or tasks needed at the shelter that day. We are very grateful for their enthusiasm and energy.”

PAWS Atlanta is the oldest and still one of the few no kill animal shelters in Georgia. It also helps the public be responsible pet owners by providing affordable veterinary care at its vet clinic and through community outreach to educate the public on the humane treatment of animals.

At Days of Service, more than 100 Cardlytics employees volunteered for 600 total volunteer hours. In that time, they repainted wo Habitat homes, sorted 17,000 pounds of food, providing 14,000 meals to Atlanta residents, walked 30 dogs and adopted two kittens.

“Seeing over 100 fellow employees take time out of their days to volunteer was incredibly motivating,” added Willey. “The event gave employees a new appreciation for each other and for what we can achieve together.”

Cardlytics has been a longtime advocate for giving back to the community. Every year, the company does a Back-to-School Drive that benefits the ACFB’s Kids in Need program and holds a holiday Toy Drive benefitting organizations like Toys for Tots and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

In other news

The fourth annual Harvest for a Cure event raised over $390,000 to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in its efforts to help research, treat and end MS globally. The gala took place on Oct. 19 at Mason Fine Art and featured 15 top Atlanta chefs and 15 sommeliers who crafted their delightful dishes to pair perfectly with hand-selected wines donated by local wine collectors.

Kroger’s Atlanta Division recently donated 17 pallets of apparel and shoes to the United Way of Greater Atlanta. The donation will support the United Way as it continues its mission of providing resources to improve the well-being of children, families and individuals in the community. The contribution will provide new clothes to thousands of people in the community in time for the holidays.