FriendsOffice Mantras Series
To “Volunteer Freely” with work means to openly offer to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task for the betterment of others. FriendsOffice gives back and volunteers in a variety of ways and with a diverse group of community non-for-profits, such as City of Hope, Wounded Warriors, Cancer Patient Services, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, Crayons to Classrooms of Dayton, Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, the Blanchard Valley Health Foundation, to name a few.
Volunteer with Work
More often than not, our employees quickly become involved with the non-profits we already work alongside in procuring office products. Our customer care representatives, delivery professionals, and marketing department all establish individual rapport with the customers they work with, and they volunteer for fundraisers and other events outside of the office. They’ve found that getting involved doesn’t require a lot of effort, just time and an open heart. We love this about our people!
Our team members have collaborated in bringing in canned goods for food drives. This has been as easy as looking in their pantries before leaving for work. They’ve helped load up a vehicles to send product to those in need, which only involved gathering available resources and a little muscle. It’s not abnormal for our crew to spend a Saturday night helping serve others for a fundraiser, either.
Our people establish relationships with executive directors and donors and sponsorship liaisons and they feel a commitment to those who’ve become their friends. And, when you work with someone every week or every day in sourcing office needs, it’s easy to become fast-friends and rely on one another!
Tips and Tricks on Getting Involved
- Join a Community: Chances are good that members of your team have already joined a church, a club sports team, a music group, or simply help out around their neighborhoods. All of these are examples of volunteering. Volunteering doesn’t always have to be for big organizations or involve a huge time commitment. We guarantee that every little bit helps, and may quickly bring joy to others. Any group of people can lend a hand if they come together with he intent to help others! Provide your employees some SWAG that they can share with the organizations who they serve.
- Find a Hobby: Using a hobby or a skill to get involved benefits more than just a few people. The cause gains a knowledgeable advocate and each employee may benefit from performing enjoyable work. Promote hobbies and acts of service to employees at your workplace! Start an interest board and allow employees to share what’s-new and keep the information refreshed, monthly.
- Go with Friends: Any activity can be made fun with friends. Coming together with friends and volunteering can be enjoyable. When everyone is interested in achieving the same goal, the likelihood of extending your network is extremely high, too!
- Make Some Time: Promote work-life balance with your team. Offer inspiring suggestions for how they can become involved outside the office. This further cements your organization locally and offers you a way to humanize your brand. Additionally, sharing time with others can be invaluable to those who suffer from loneliness; lonely folks may be your own employees. According to research by organizational psychologist, Adam Grant, loneliness is at the root of many health problems. “In the U.S., even before the pandemic, 3 out of 4 people reported feeling lonely. Since we spend so much of our time on our jobs, work is a main sources of loneliness.” Read more about COVID-19 and loneliness.
- No Direct Cost: Volunteering can be the answer you’ve been seeking to bring your team together and to create more awareness about your organization. It doesn’t cost anything, it doesn’t take a skill or talent, but making time to spend with others through volunteering can be important work well worth the investment.
Extras!
Volunteering is great for the body and soul, but taking the time to be happy is just as important to a healthy work-life. For more information like this, click the link to visit How to Be Happy While at Work.
This post was strongly inspired by The Balance Small Business article, “15 Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering That Will Inspire You.”