Oakdale's Best Buy Makes a Push for Volunteerism

When they’re not busy serving customers who want the latest cell phone, tablet PC or other gadget, a group of employees makes time to serve a slightly younger crowd.

Every two weeks, between 10 and 15 store employees head over to to help out in special needs classrooms for children with autism or emotional behavioral disorders, said Customer Solutions Manager T.J. Rice.

It’s part of a push the store started making a year ago to get more involved in the community, Rice said.

“We’re basically there as kind of the cool aunts and uncles,” Rice said. “We’re there to make sure they have a good time and try to contribute and give the teachers a couple hours off.”

When they first started increasing volunteer efforts among employees, the group leading the charge had to really work, he said, but now the desire to volunteer has become “contagious” among store employees.

“The more you do it, the better you feel, the more people want to do it, and all of a sudden we’ve got people that are coming up to us asking when they can be a part of the volunteer events,” he said. “They know it’s not paid, they know it’s just doing the right thing and they’re very committed to it.”

Skyview Elementary Special Education Resource Teacher Jill Kuehn said the students look forward to the days when the Best Buy group will be there.

“They are just some of the most passionate people,” she said. “They’re great role models and the kids enjoy doing things with them.”

Oakdale Best Buy’s involvement with the special needs classrooms at Skyview has gone beyond volunteerism, she said. Teachers were able to use money the store raised to buy recess equipment—something the classes didn’t have before—including outdoor toys, soccer balls, sidewalk chalk and basketballs, Kuehn said.

Not only do the students enjoy playing with the equipment, but it helps them improve hand-eye coordination, she said.

Best Buy employees raised the money by holding a basketball fundraiser at the store, Rice said. He said he hopes they’ll be able to secure more money for the Skyview students through a Best Buy corporate program that gives money to organizations where its employees volunteer.

The Oakdale Best Buy volunteers have plans to take the students on a field trip to the Minnesota Children’s Museum or a zoo, and they also have a tree-planting event planned, he said.

Outside of Skyview, the store has been a part of Relay for Life for years, and has volunteered with Feed my Starving Children.

Rice said giving back through volunteering has been a nice break and a rewarding experience for the employees who have participated.

“The idea is let people know Best Buy isn’t just a place of business,” he said. “It’s a place that cares about the community and cares about giving back as much as we can.”