Much has been written about the common good. Some Americans think of the common good as placing the good of the country and of our fellow Americans above individual interests. Others think of the common good as the individual taking responsibility to improve the lives of others. Whatever your understanding of the common good, it can be pursued in your work life. You can do so by seeking to build and maintain supportive relationships with your coworkers. You can also do so by engaging with your coworkers in activities that are beneficial to your community and the larger world. Doing so can even contribute to recruitment efforts and employee retention. Some employers place such a high value on community relations that they offer employees paid compensation for two days of volunteering a month. Here are some ideas for organizing a service day.
- Find out what is important to your coworkers and what is needed in your community. You might check what community service events have been held in the past and decide whether you want to create something new to fill a gap, partner with an existing organization, or expand an existing event. Here are some categories of need for your discussions with coworkers: schools/education, children, troubled teens, senior citizens, citizens who are hungry/homeless, the environment, animals, community safety and crime prevention, community enhancement.
- Consider your own and your coworker's skills and talents to make sure you put them to good use. You will want to choose your project or event based on what you're good at and what you have the resources to do, as well as its potential impact.
- Choose a date that works for as many of your coworkers as possible.
- Plan, plan, plan . . . far in advance. Consider your goals, the practicalities and logistics of accomplishing them, and possible partners. Factor into the picture potential complications, especially safety or liability issues, volunteer recruitment, budget, timeline, fundraising/sponsorships, set-up and clean-up plans, and post-event assessment.
- Publicize your effort/event sufficiently in advance and as much as possible.
Here are some service-day ideas to get your mental wheels turning:
- Coordinate a beautification project. You can clean up or plant flowers and trees at a local park or alongside a river, lake, or highway. Or repair, paint, or otherwise improve walls, fences, buildings, or playgrounds.
- Organize a community blood drive.
- Hold a fun run or other charity race like a walk-a-thon or bike-a-thon.
- Organize a car wash and donate the profits.
- Hold an auction to benefit a charity.
- Organize an event for teaching computer, smart phone, and other technology skills to older persons or new device users.
- Host a holiday meal.
- Start a community garden.
- Create a new walking trail or care for an existing trail.
- Organize a nature outing for urban youth who have little exposure to nature.
- Participate in building a house for Habitat for Humanity.
