Case Study: CarMax at Bonton Farms
One Day. 158 Volunteers. Thirty Weeks of Impact.
In May 2025, more than 158 CarMax employees and executives gathered at Bonton Farms for a day of hands-on service, contributing more than 1,200 hours of service—the equivalent of 30 weeks of full-time labor.
Bonton Farms is an urban farm located in a historically underserved neighborhood where the nearest grocery store is a 3-hour round-trip bus ride away. Bonton Farms turns vacant lots into sites for meaningful job creation, helping to grow income and provide fresh foods to the community.
Organized by VolunteerNow™, this project marked the farm’s largest single-day volunteer effort to date.
The Challenge
Bonton Farms relies on volunteer labor to sustain its operations and create workforce development opportunities for its apprentices. But large-scale improvements often require more hands than they have.
To grow its ability to serve the community, the farm needed intensive, coordinated support and the support of many volunteers working in different areas—everything from building structures to caring for animals and harvesting crops.
The Solution
VolunteerNow™ worked with CarMax and Bonton Farms to design a day of high-impact service that aligned with the farm’s strategic priorities and gave CarMax employees a meaningful way to connect with the community.
CarMax employees helped create more functional gardening space for Bonton Farms by:
- Installing crop shade structures and trellis systems
- Harvesting produce and maintaining crop beds
- Painting poles with quotes and artwork
- Supporting compost systems and weed barriers
- Assisting with animal care and forest cleanup
The result: 1,200+ hours of service delivered in one day—work that would have taken one full-time volunteer 30 weeks to complete.
The Impact
CarMax employees left more than just a visual mark on the farm… they helped accelerate Bonton’s mission of food access, workforce development, and sustainability.
“This project will be the largest impact that a group could have at the Extension farm this year. It was critical to helping us move toward sustainability and provide better skills training for our growing number of apprentices.”
— Bonton Farms Staff Member
“Learning about the Bonton Farms community, interacting with animals, and seeing the farm’s impact firsthand were highlights across the board.”
— CarMax Employee
The VolunteerNow™ Difference
Through concierge coordination, expert project planning, and thoughtful nonprofit partnerships, VolunteerNow™ transforms volunteer days into high-impact experiences that matter for the community and your company.
