National Volunteer Week

Land O’ Lakes Young Professionals Network, Group Volunteers

We are Land O’Lakes Young Professionals Network (YPN), an employee resource group dedicated to inclusive career and personal development across generations. Community Relations is an integral part of what we do, and is centered around youth development, agriculture, and hunger alleviation. This is why we love volunteering with Urban Roots! They are a dedicated team who works hard to develop young people while serving the needs of their community.

YPN at Land O’Lakes at the Rivoli Bluffs garden site.

YPN at Land O’Lakes has historically partnered with Urban Roots for the Rivoli Bluffs garden site cleanup. This has involved doing activities like clearing trees, weeding, and prepping/repairing the hoop house. After volunteering, Alek Sundberg, a financial analyst involved in YPN, said,

“Our work had a direct benefit to the environment and the community, as we were able to prepare the site for planting and growing crops for the community volunteers, students, and other locals who support the organization at this site.”

Alyssa Podgorski, a former co-lead for the Community Relations team, shared her connection to the organization,

“I had attended an open house event after volunteering. I was able to meet the people that helped to deliver Urban Roots’ programming and they shared their personal experiences that motivated their work. I have also attended their end of year and have been able to meet the youth interns and see the different programs in action!”

These meaningful experiences and the mission of Urban Roots keep us coming back, and we are excited to continue supporting in the future.