SEATTLE -- A local company closed its doors on Friday so that some important work may be done.

Employees of One Eighty, a hospitality services company, took a break from their work on Friday to volunteer at three local celebrities.

They sorted, labeled and organized mounds of clothing donated to the Downtown Emergency Service Center. Their helping hands helped clear out the center's backlog of work, according to administrative director Nicole Macri.

"It would really set us back several weeks if we did that all by ourselves," she said.

But One Eighty's Chief Operating Officer Andy Gomes said the work wasn't without benefit for his employees.

"For us, you know, you're helping people. But I think for me, we're all doing something different instead of being in our office we work together on a different level and kind of laugh and joke with each other, so it's a lot of fun," he said.

Another group of One Eighty volunteers dove into work at the Orion Center, place for young people living on the street.

The volunteers picked up some groceries, then cooked up a hot lunch for anyone coming in off the street. And their efforts were well-received.

One young person, handed a plate full of chicken enchiladas, taquitoes and beans and rice, said, "It just looks so delicious. Thank you."

The hot lunch was topped off by a spread of homemade goodies the volunteers had prepared in advance.

A third group of One Eighty employees volunteered at Northwest Harvest.

The volunteers' hard work was a welcomed relief for local charities facing a number of cuts.

"It's tough out there, it's really tough and in addition to always needing volunteers, agencies are cutting back on people so there's an even greater need for volunteers," said Ruth Blaw, executive director of the Orion Center.

"I mean, it just takes a group of people who wants to get out there and do something good for the community. It's a lot of work but it's fun work," said One Eighty's Jason Childers.

This is the first time One Eighty has volunteered its staff to a local charity, but the company said the idea is congruent to its philosophy. The company believes in a lifestyle consisting of a three-part balance -- one third family, one third community and lastly, one third work.