As we entrench ourselves in the holiday season, and the close of yet another year approaches, many of us seek ways to build a stronger bond with those wonderful people we spend so much time away from our families with our “work family,” aka our co-workers. What better way to build comradery within your team than to celebrate the season by giving back to your local community.
Here are a few team building ideas that will benefit those who are less fortunate.
1. Volunteer at a local cause.
A useful resource for finding a non-profit to volunteer at near you is, VolunteerMatch. The website helps narrow down a list non-profits in need of volunteers based on location, interest, and has a sort filter that also allows you to specify organizations that accept groups to volunteer together. That is a great way to find something your whole team is passionate about.
Feed My Starving Children, for example, has a group volunteer program. The non-profit organization is committed to feeding hungry children across the globe. FMSC has (7) permanent packing facilities in IL, MN, and AZ with MobilePack Events scheduled in each state. In a span of as little as 2 hours, your team can make a difference and pack meals for starving children.
2. Collect, prepare and distribute bags of “essentials” to those less fortunate in your area.
Items such as socks, soap, hand sanitizer wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, mouthwash, floss, cup of noodles, bottles of water, lotion, sunscreen, energy bars, snack items can be purchased or donated, assembled into bags and hand-delivered to those in need.
3. Plan a contest.
Whether you are collecting blankets, socks, toys, canned food or money, decide on a worthwhile item that your team is passionate about. Let each department race to collect, purchase and donate the most items, including a status meter so everyone can see the progress. At the end of the contest, deliver your items to a local shelter, hospital or food bank for distribution. You can find a list of where to donate here.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America opens doors to youth to offer them a great future. Your team can volunteer with them, adopt-a-family or collect gifts for the kids. You can find your local Boys and Girls Clubs here.
4. Adopt-a-family or child in your area for the holidays.
Provide food, clothing, gifts and holiday decorations for a family in need in your area. Visit Salvationarmy.org or call your local Salvation Army for information on their adopt-a-family and Christmas angel programs.
5. As a team, make hand-made Christmas and holiday cards.
They can be delivered to your local children’s hospital or mail to our military personnel serving overseas. You can find more information on how to do that with the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes.
No matter which route you take, deciding as a team to give back and help those less fortunate, especially during the holiday season, builds bonds within your team and within yourself that will benefit each member in ways that fill the heart and spirit.
Happy Holidays from the SearchWide Global team!
SearchWide Global is a full service executive search firm, placing hundreds of executives, primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management and experiential marketing industries. Specializing in C-Level and Director level executive searches for companies ranging in size from Fortune 500 corporations to mid-sized public and private companies and associations. Headquartered in St. Paul, MN, USA and with several regional offices, SearchWide Global is able to serve clients and candidates nationwide. Founded in 1999, they have remained focused on four core values for almost two decades: INTEGRITY, ETHICS, PASSION and RESPECT.