Rainbow International employee receives Mission Waco 2013 Volunteer of the Year award

WACO, Texas (Jan. 29, 2014) – Local resident and Rainbow International associate Craig Gjelsten has been named as one of five recipients for the 2013 Volunteer of the Year award by Mission Waco. His outstanding efforts and community involvement will be recognized at the Mission Waco Banquet on Tues., February 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the Waco Convention Center where the awards will be given.

“Craig is a great reflection of Neighborly, formerly Dwyer Group, Code of Values at work and in our community,” said Dina Dwyer-Owens, chairwoman and CEO of The Neighborly. “With his passion to serve and his knowledge of business, he is an inspiration and a true reflection of our Live R.I.C.H. philosophy to show Respect, Integrity, Customer service and Having fun in the process.”

Gjelsten has always had a long history of volunteerism. And when he moved to Waco for the Director of Compliance and On-Boarding position at Rainbow International, a subsidiary of Neighborly, he wasted no time looking for ways to get involved in the community. Thankfully, a co-worker introduced him to the perfect place to start: Mission Waco.

Mission Waco is Christian-based non-profit organization with a focus on mobilizing middle-class Americans to become more passionately involved among community members in need by building relationships helping people find gainful employment. Every year Mission Waco hosts a banquet to recognize local volunteers for their outstanding service toward building the Waco community. Gjelsten will be one of five to be presented the 2013 Volunteer of the Year award at this year’s banquet.

“It is a great privilege to be able to help out people in need and I love building those relationships that strengthen the community,” said Gjelsten. ” I am honored by this recognition and will continue to show my passion to help with the hope of inspiring other to become more involved.”

As an essential part of the Job Training Program at Mission Waco, Gjelsten goes out of his way every Tuesday and Thursday evening to guide online job searches, assist with job application submissions, host resume workshops and provide interview prep for community members in need of help finding gainful employment.

After some time working in the Mission Waco program, Gjelsten was introduced to Manna Works, a non-profit organization helping other non-profits by repairing and improving their facilities while also employing struggling men with a history of work issues involving matters that can be corrected over time. Manna Works aids these local men in rebuilding their work ethics by fostering a positive environment through reinforcement to help them recreate their lives and become fully employable men who can support their families.

Keeping his evening sessions with Mission Waco, Gjelsten also took on the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors for Manna Works helping with fundraising efforts, developing business plans and pursuing grants to fund operations.

About Neighborly®:

Neighborly, based in Waco, Texas, is a holding company of seven franchise businesses, each selling and supporting a different franchise under the following service marks: Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, The Grounds Guys™, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter® (Drain Doctor in the UK and Portugal), and Rainbow International®. Collectively, these independent franchise concepts offer customers worldwide a broad base of residential and commercial services. In addition, Dwyer operates glass shops in New England under the Portland Glass brand name. Neighborly is a portfolio company of TZP Group, LLC, a private equity firm based in New York that focuses on control investments in business and consumer services companies with enterprise values generally up to $200 million. More information on The Neighborly, or its franchise concepts, is available at DwyerGroup.com.Opens in a new tab/window

Neighborly is also on Twitter at @DwyerGroup.