First things first, Webster Dictionary defines volunteer as — just kidding, we won't make you sit through a stereotypical speech.
But, in case you're not familiar, National Volunteer Week is April 18-24 in 2021. Watch out, it doesn't stay the same dates every year, but it's typically the third full week of April.
Volunteering is the very definition of giving back. It's taking of your own time to share with those around you and ideally, improve the situation. Whether it's at your local soup kitchen, spending time cleaning a park, or even sharing your professional skills, we love to see the different ways that passionate people make a difference.
We know that we've posted a lot of blogs in the past about the various ways that you can give back, or the different resources that you can provide to your team members that have an interest in volunteering.
But this year, we thought we'd give you a little sneak peek at some of the ways that we try to give back here at Baudville. While we fully admit that there is always more to do, one of our foundational tenets is a passion for lending a hand.
We created Baudville’s Helping Hand with the dream of providing children with lives of hope, dignity, and purpose. We’re passionate about giving back. As the most vulnerable members of our society, children need care to ensure they have the resources to grow into healthy, independent adults. Baudville Brands’ nonprofit Baudville’s Helping Hand works to instill hope, dignity, and purpose in the lives of children by partnering with charitable organizations who engage young people in the areas of education, public health, social justice, and environmental preservation.
Every year, 2% of Baudville Brands’ profits are given in support of Helping Hand. This, along with the generous donations of our employees’ time and money, makes it possible to advance our corporate stewardship. We’re proud to partner with several local organizations in support of child development, including DA Blodgett/St. John’s Home, the Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, KidsFoodBasket and Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids.
Last year, almost everyone here at Baudville shared their time and skills to remodel a nearby charity called Ele's Place. Ele's Place works with children who have experienced loss to give them a safe and healthy space to process and understand that grief. It's an incredibly noble cause that really hit home for us.
We were able to dedicate resources and manpower to redoing their space to make it even more effective and rewarding for the kids who need it most.
This year, a lot of volunteering opportunities look different. You might not be able to support your favorite organizations in the same way. But, now more than ever, it's important to unite with our communities and make an impact.
That might be making a financial donation (and as a reminder: $10 is enough. If you can give what you can, that's a beautiful donation - no matter what the amount ends up being).
Or, it might be showing up in a different way: promoting an organization's work on social media, donning a mask and staying distanced but continuing to make the difference, or even donating resources and supplies to keep their team going.
No matter how you make a difference, it's important to know that every gesture made or dollar donated has a significant impact. It can be easy, sometimes, to make excuses or presume we're too busy to volunteer - and assume that even if we did, it wouldn't make a difference. However, every step taken and every hand that helps makes a BIG change in your community. Encourage your team to volunteer routinely and support them to stay engaged!
Want to read more? Check out some of our other posts about National Volunteer Week!
We would love to see how you volunteer - or how you highlight those that volunteer for your organization! Feel free to comment below!
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