Thanksgiving is not just the pit stop between Halloween and Christmas. It’s a time to be thankful, especially after a year that’s been so challenging for many businesses. If your team weathered the storm and came out on the other end safe and stronger, Thanksgiving is the time to show your gratitude.
It’s also the perfect time for legal to strengthen relationships across the organization, while giving back to the wider community. Doing things like this with your company can help your teammates feel a greater sense of purpose and even more connected to your organization. Especially those with a sense of social responsibility.
Here are some ways you can build gratitude and relationships with people inside and outside of your org this season.
Have a Day of Volunteering
What better way to share the wealth and give back to your community than with a day of volunteering? This is an excellent way to encourage your team to get involved with the world outside of their computer screens.
Many people want to volunteer more in the community, but can’t find the time. As younger generations grow more and more civic-minded, opportunities to give back are even more crucial to job satisfaction. Choose (or vote on) the cause that your company will support, determine what participation will look like, and set a date to do good. Orgs like Boston Cares help make it easier to organize volunteering initiatives.
Protip: It’s best if this takes place during the work day. If it happens on an evening or the weekend, make sure to incentivize employee participation.
Host a Food Drive
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the food. But since not everyone is lucky enough to have this to look forward to, you can share the proverbial wealth by hosting a food drive.
To make this go smoothly, establish parameters of giving: What foods are allowed? How long will the drive last? Will there be other ways to contribute to and participate in the food drive?
This is a great opportunity to include other communities in your area, widening your efforts and impact. This way, your company is doing important work with the community, not just in it. For example, Greater Boston Food Bank is a hunger-relief organization that distributes food to people in need. You can donate time or money, sponsor an event, or organize food drives through them.
Partner With or Donate to Orgs in Your City
If a food drive or volunteer day can’t work for whatever reason, there are other opportunities to partner with organizations that do the work year-round. Figure out what organizations have initiatives that you can get behind, and put your money where your mouth is.
If you want to let your money do most of the work for you, you can give to food banks or partner with shelters. Rosie’s Place, for example, is a women’s shelter that houses and feeds over 10,000 women each year. They offer individual and group volunteer opportunities, if that’s the route you want to take. If not, they have other options for giving, like holiday cards, fundraisers, tributes, and others.
Takeaways
This Thanksgiving, connect with your organization by giving back. What better way to show your gratitude than to share the wealth with your community through food drives, volunteer days, and donating to other organizations? Give thanks for the year you’ve had so far, and close it out strong by working with your teammates to have an impact in your community.
