"Google up "corporate retreat" and something close to two million entries pop into view in the first nano-seconds of the search. There are places in the mountains, on water, in inner cities and in parks and recreation facilities nationwide where you can take your management group to regroup. Some are highly structured, although many rely on the same "learn to trust one another" techniques of Boy Scout and Girl Scout camps and church retreats.
And that's not to cast aspersions on the value of getting your key people out of the same old routine, putting them to unfamiliar tasks and learning to have fun with one another. While there are plenty of good companies out there that specialize in corporate groups, there's an unlikely opportunity in the hills and valleys of eastern Kentucky.
Although better known for its efforts to help the elderly, children and the disabled in Appalachia's poorest counties, the Christian Appalachian Project has lately become home for a variety of corporate and organizational retreats. These events do all the things retreats are supposed to do, but with a twist — they actually help people other than just the group on retreat.
"It's a life-changing experience for many of the several hundred volunteers who come to Christian Appalachian Project each year," says Bill Mills, CEO of the homegrown charity and himself a veteran of the corporate world, coming to his position as a member of the Hitachi management team. "When we host a corporate group, they have the opportunity to work together and create the bonds that are the goal of so many corporate retreats. The difference is that when they've completed their extended weekend or all-week stay, they have the satisfaction of knowing that an older person is living in a house with heat or running water, or that a severely disabled person has easy access to their home."
Christian Appalachian Project, or CAP as it is widely known in the hills of eastern Kentucky, has a number of volunteer houses for use by church, school or corporate groups. Meals are served, and there is ample time for socializing or meeting as a group above and beyond the time that will be spent volunteering.
"Our Corporate Caring Program encourages corporations to join with us in service to some of America's most needy individuals as we try to break the cycle of poverty," said Mills. "We ask companies to help us financially, to encourage their employees to volunteer, to provide matching funds when employees donate to the program. There are many ways for corporate and private businesses to give back to the community. Hosting corporate retreats is just another way to create synergy between the for-profit and the not-for-profit sectors," he said.
"We promise our corporate visitors time to meet and work on company issues or initiatives, yet the significant service experience is typically what most impacts the group," said Mills.
Christian Appalachian Project, based in the tiny Kentucky city of Hagerhill, just south of Paintsville, serves more than one million people in the 13 Appalachian states each year, making it one of this nation's largest human services charities. The organization focuses on the needs of the elderly, children and the developmentally disabled through a variety of programs. They include child and family development and educational programs, summer camps, literacy initiatives and numerous basic care services for the elderly and disabled, ranging from transportation to socialization. CAP also works to reunite families through supportive programs and centers for victims of domestic violence and substance abuse. One of the more significant programs is home repair, which is the biggest draw for volunteer groups and businesses.
Although serving people in the 13 Appalachian states is the primary goal of CAP, its charter allows it to expend some of its resources helping people outside the region. Examples of this include the teams of Hurricane Katrina relief volunteers who departed the organization's headquarters in CAP vehicles to donate and distribute water, supplies, food and other necessities to those in the path of the storm. Similar relief was provided to victims of Florida's tornadoes earlier this year.
"If your group is interested in seeing how much they can grow while helping others," said Mills, "CAP is the place to visit."
To learn more about CAP and its Corporate Caring Partners program or for information on how to schedule a visit, check the organization's Web site at www.christianapp.org.
Ron Jackson is the President and CEO of The Idea Farm, an international marketing, advertising and public relations organization based in Danville, Ky. Reach him at ron@theideafarm.net.