Celebration of Caring inspires good deeds
Today, my co-workers and I spent the morning pulling weeds, moving dirt and watering and replanting flower beds at Riverside Park in Janesville. It wasn’t a typical morning for me but one I totally enjoyed. The clean up was part of the Celebration of Caring through United Way of North Rock County. In fact, volunteers from several organizations were present at various locations today.
As I sit here tonight and write this, I can’t help but emphasize how important it is for us as people, our organizations and businesses, to be stewards of society, the environment and the economy. Doing good deeds is just good for business. I recognize that many local companies and organizations know this and practice it well. It's one of the reasons why I love Janesville so much. The work humanizes the brand while strengthening the community. It’s a win-win!
So, what organizations do you support? What do you believe in? Is there a local organization, or campaign that you truly feel passionate about? If you don’t know what’s available or how to get started, here are some pointers:
• Evaluate your company’s (or personal) mission and vision and explore fundraisers and organizations that align with that same mission.
• Ask your friends/employees what they volunteer for. Chances are your friends and/or employees live and work in the community and know the areas of greatest need.
• Visit your local chamber of commerce and sign up for a fun community event to support (the Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has an expansive, updated list of community events in the Rock County area)
• Then, volunteer for a few hours (also a great way to network)
What organizations are you and your company involved in? What do you do to help those in need? Join the discussion!
Trish Skram is a communications professional who works at Mercy Health System in Janesville and writes about Janesville's professional community. Trish is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. Her opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
Sep 15, 2011 at 7:25 a.m.
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Another great resource to find volunteer opportunities is to contact Julie Cunningham at United Way. If all goes well Julie will be hosting this Saturday's Janesville Farmers Market Report, so come down to the market and see Julie! Also at the JFM this Saturday, Yuri R. and company will be performing between 10AM-11AM, and the Chalk Walk is going on downtown that day, too.
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Julie Cunningham
Volunteer Network Coordinator
United Way's Volunteer Network
205 N. Main St.
Janesville, WI 53545
(608) 757-3058
jcunningham@uwnrc.org
Sep 15, 2011 at 5:47 a.m.
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My goldendoodle, Cooper, and I belong to Dogs on Call. It's an organization in southern Wisconsin whose members are registered Delta Society Pet Therapy teams and we go to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, and more with this mission statement in mind: "Promoting the Animal-Human Bond and Literacy Through Education, Evaluation, and Participation of Therapy Animal Teams."
We've been volunteering for a year and it's extremely rewarding!
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