At Brilliance, we have made a commitment to making time to volunteer as a team once each quarter. Generally, this isn't an issue throughout the year and our distinct seasons in Wisconsin provide opportunities for various types of volunteer service, many times outside. However, the last quarter of the year can be an incredibly busy and hectic time of the year for many of us, personally and professionally. On top of that, there are not many volunteer projects that can be done outdoors (some of our favorite kind).
In order to fulfill this quarterly commitment to service AND ease the end-of-year anxiety about all that needs to be done, we decided to hold our Q4 service project at the beginning of January, just a couple of days after the Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service.
Volunteerism can take many forms and every organization will tell you how important the volunteers are to the work that they are trying to do. So picking a favorite project is like choosing a favorite child. Even so, sometimes it is hard to know and feel the impact true of the time given to a project.
That is not the case at The Gathering. Seeing and feeling the impact is one reason we decided to volunteer with them again this year. Serving breakfast to the guests is just one task that is asked of volunteers at the State Street meal site. Volunteers also help set up the food line, prepare bag lunches for guests to take as they leave, sweep and mop the dining room after the meal and set up the room for the next meal later in the day. Offering a "good morning" and a smile is contagious and after a couple hundred times it becomes the comfort zone.
If you're interested in volunteering with The Gathering, be sure to visit them online here. They can always use help and it's a great project for groups.
