In a show of community spirit and support for local education, four Spherion Staffing and Recruiting offices serving the north Alabama and mid-Georgia communities recently completed their second annual ‘Let’s Get to School’ giveback initiative. This effort, aimed at easing the burden of back-to-school costs, provided teachers and students in Huntsville and Montgomery, Alabama, as well as Columbus and Macon, Georgia, with funds for much-needed classroom supplies.

The giveaway, which took place from late July to early August, awarded one student and one teacher from each of these communities with gift cards to help them prepare for the upcoming school year. Students received $50 gift cards for school supplies while teachers were given $100 gift cards to equip their classrooms. By directly supporting educators and families, Spherion is helping to strengthen the very heart of these communities – the schools.

“As a small business owner, I feel a deep responsibility to give back to the communities that have supported us,” said Michael Chalmers, local franchise owner of the four Spherion offices. “At Spherion, we believe that giving back is at the core of who we are. It’s more than just good business. It’s about making a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors. We know firsthand the challenges that teachers and students face, and to be able to provide a little extra help to ease that burden is incredibly rewarding. Our mission is to support the communities we serve, ensuring that both teachers and students have what they need to thrive in and out of the classroom.”

The ‘Let’s Get to School’ giveback initiative began last year after seeing the increased need for school supplies, a challenge many schools face year after year. Chalmers and his local Spherion teams plan to continue this initiative in the future.

“We moved here from Washington state last year, and my son is in the special education class at Shirley Hills,” said Melissa McKinstry, parent of a student winner in middle Georgia. “We are thankful for the gift card and look forward to growing in the middle Georgia community with Spherion.”

Spherion brandishes the power of local through a network of independent and empowered franchisees like Chalmers. Each Spherion franchisee enriches their community through connecting and facilitating employment opportunities every day — and when they’re successful together, their investments flow back into the neighborhoods where they live and work. The power of Spherion is in its local roots.

For more information about Spherion Columbus, visit www.spherion.com/columbus.

For more information about Spherion Macon, visit www.spherion.com/macon.