In celebration of National Volunteer Week (April 19–25, 2026), Newrez hosted its third annual Volunteer Challenge, bringing employees together to give back to their communities. During the month of April, Newrezers outdid themselves and logged a combined 3,219 volunteer hours, close to 500 hours more than the previous year.
Click to navigate:
1. Volunteer Time Off
2. Dollars for Doers
As in years past, our five core offices participated in a friendly volunteer competition to see which site would make the greatest impact. After two consecutive wins by the Houston office, a new site took the top spot. Our Fort Washington office earned the title of Volunteer Site of the Year in 2026, logging an impressive 762 hours.
Our individual competition also highlighted an outstanding contributor. This year’s top volunteer, Emily Wascura, logged 256 hours in April. Most of her time was spent with the Foundation for Easton Schools, where she chaperoned nine high school students on an educational trip to France, helping them explore the country’s language, culture, art, history and architecture.
In addition to the competition, the Community Investment team organized a companywide initiative focused on food insecurity, partnering with six food banks across the country. Newrezers stepped up, with 108 employees volunteering 285 hours to assemble 4,224 bags and boxes that helped distribute 122,649 pounds of food to communities in need.
Although the 2026 Volunteer Challenge is complete, Newrez offers benefits to help employees give back all year.
Volunteer Time Off
In 2025, about 24% of Newrezers reported volunteer hours. Although not all employees used their paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to do so, Newrezers volunteered nearly 12,000 hours.
Full-time employees receive 8 hours of paid VTO each year, while part-time employees receive 4 hours. In 2025, 20% of Newrez employees used the benefit, contributing more than 7,000 paid volunteer hours. This program helps employees stay engaged with the causes that matter most to them.
Dollars for Doers
Through Dollars for Doers, employees can turn their volunteer time into additional charitable contributions. The program provides $10 for every volunteer hour logged, up to a $1,000 annual cap, which can be donated to eligible nonprofits through the Giving Portal. In 2025, 71% of Dollars for Doers rewards issued were redeemed, so that employees could continue to give back even more.
Newrezers continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting their communities, and we look forward to seeing what employees do next.
