Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? And that there is a dedicated week in April to recognize and celebrate all of the great work and impact of volunteer service?
As a very young company—just two and a half years old—Joyn is making small steps toward establishing organized volunteer efforts. In November 2022, we coordinated our inaugural Joyn Holiday of Service that spanned two weeks. We encouraged all Joyners to find time in their schedule to give back to those that need it most. Several types of volunteer ideas were shared across the team through a volunteer resource guide created by our amazing Joyn Advocate Committee members. This guide now serves as our official resource for ways to give back not just during the holidays, but year-round. Our combined efforts amounted to 20 hours of volunteer time and $300 in monetary donations, provided by 30 percent of our team.
With National Volunteer Week (April 16-22) approaching, we hope to beat those numbers. That’s why we’re once again encouraging our team members to give back. As a fully virtual team, we’re organizing around the week, sharing our resource guide, and also encouraging family involvement.
In case there are other young companies out there wondering how to get started, here are a few ideas that worked for us as we put a volunteerism program in place:
- Just get started! Don’t stress too much about figuring out the “right” event or cause. Remember that any volunteerism will make an impact so just pick a date that works and lock it in.
- Communicate and share ideas. Some people are more inclined to research volunteer opportunities on their own while others want a list of ideas to choose from.
- Let it happen organically and give your team the freedom to bring ideas to life.
- Location doesn’t matter. Even if you are a fully remote team like us, it could be the time frame that creates a sense of unity team-wide.
National Volunteer Week is the perfect opportunity to allow your team to engage in a cause they care about and to allow them to share their passions outside of work, which in turn can build a greater sense of camaraderie and team spirit. We hope you will take the opportunity to do so, whether you’re a part of our team or not.
