Day of Service can extend beyond 24 hours – here’s your invitation

Robert Dutkiewicz

Individuals and organizations choose to make service a part of their personal and professional life as they consider it the right thing to do, and receive enormous emotional benefit from getting involved with a cause that may be outside their day-to-day concerns, such as access to shelter, food, clothing and household goods.  This summer, Clayton McKervey has established what we hope becomes a new firm tradition:  a Day of Service where all members of the firm work side-by-side to support our local community.

On August 4 we’ll be part of an exciting project called Life Remodeled, a Detroit-based non-profit which pours $5m in cash, labor and materials into one Detroit neighborhood each year. This commitment requires us to leave the comfort of our offices to get our hands dirty (and work up a sweat), as we’ll be mowing grass, trimming hedges, clearing brush, painting, planting and more.  As such, we are closing the office to allow for the team effort.  I’m excited to introduce the C&M Day of Service into our culture.

I’m grateful to be personally involved in several professional, academic and charitable efforts; and became engaged because someone asked me to.  Yes, it was really that easy. I’m convinced more people would get involved with charities, community endeavors and even business associations and affinity groups if they were simply invited.  It was actually a group of our millennial staff who researched and proposed Life Remodeled as our Day of Service project and brought it up for an office vote.  They asked and we responded.

If our firm can play a role in sharing the values of community support among all generations of the firm, I’ll feel especially good about our involvement.  I’m curious, are you involved with a charity or non-profit group that needs to boost its membership or volunteer ranks to accomplish key goals? The person in the next office may be waiting for your invitation.