I recently traveled to Kensington and Wilmot Ohio to check in on two of Chesapeake's "Operation Blue" events where employees were given four hours of company time to do community service:

"In the summer of 2009, Chesapeake Energy created a community service challenge through their H.E.L.P. (Helping Organize Local Progress) Initiative to commemorate the company’s 20th anniversary. In just five weeks, employees were challenged to perform 20,000 service hours. The challenge was completed with more than 26,000 hours. The overwhelming success led to the formation of “Operation Blue” in 2010, an annual summer volunteer program in which employees are allowed four hours of company time to do community service.

In the past two summers, thousands of employees volunteered more than 57,000 hours. The program allows volunteers to give back to the community and participate alongside various organizations. In June 2011, 30 Chesapeake employees volunteered more than 200 hours to build a home for Habitat for Humanity

Energy in Depth – Ohio was able to stop by two Operation Blue efforts this summer and chat with some of the hard-working volunteers. On July 10th, employees traveled to Seven Ranges Scout Reservation in Kensington to build 9’ x 9’ wooden platforms. As the picture shows, the platforms are big enough for scouts to place their tents, in order to keep them dry."

READ MORE: http://www.eidohio.org/chesapeakes-operation-blue-comes-to-town/