Day of Volunteerism Sends Discovery Employees Into Community

Wearing matching light green shirts, plenty of bug repellent and the all-important sunscreen, a small army of volunteers from Discovery Communications descended upon a Kensington nonprofit, school and park Friday morning.

The second annual “Discover Your Impact Day” of volunteerism was part of a company-wide effort to encourage Discovery employees to serve the communities in which they live and work. According to the company, employees in more than 35 offices and 20 countries and volunteered this week. Locally, roughly 1,100 employees worked at 40 different sites near the company’s Silver Spring headquarters.

“They’re giving us the opportunity to make a difference,” said Matt Zoks of Rockville, who works in Discovery’s IT department. “I’m a workaholic, so it’s nice to get out and volunteer.”

Zoks was one of about 35 volunteers clearing brush and tending the community and learning gardens at Crossway Community Inc., a Kensington nonprofit that provides services for families and young children in the Kensington-Wheaton area. The organization, a community partner with Discovery, also operates a Montessori School.

Kathleen Guinan, CEO of Crossway, said that when a company decides to collectively volunteer in the community it sends a message that its employees are really committed.

“It has a huge impact, lifts morale and the work they’re doing we couldn’t afford to get done ourselves,” Guinan said. “Good communities are all about labors of love.”