In the first part of this article on Social Initiatives, we highlighted how people usually don’t think or recognize disabilities until they see them, and people usually don’t get involved with those who face these challenges, until they face them for themselves.
In this second half, we look at how programs like Power to Be help all of us recognize the impact we as individuals can have on others, and also how getting involved is also therapeutic for everyone involved, as well as the organizations that support them.
- It is wonderful how programs like Power to Be affect the lives of the beneficiaries. Explain how the programs are also “therapeutic for me” for the people who volunteer.
Tim: “There are a few aspects to it. There are some therapeutic emotions that simply come with being involved and experiencing new things as a group. I see these happen in our communities all the time. What I recognize is that the value to the volunteers who participate is felt in very different ways.
“When it’s a group of volunteers, (such as a group of co-workers), who already know each other, the dynamics are profound. We watch them come together, collaborate and relate in new and unexpected ways. When they arrive for an activity, they are all just volunteers; their work roles are left behind. Although we didn’t set out to create it, participating as a group can become a company team-building exercise!
“In such a case, the dynamics are interesting because we work hard, but we also all need to just have more fun. Our programs create a place for families and kids to have fun, and have a place where they, the participants, get to leave some of the challenges that they face behind. The volunteers come out, also get to have fun, and engage with people in new and novel ways. Everyone learns, and has fun doing it!
“If you walk through life oblivious to the world around you, it’s hard to go and achieve the goals that you want without knowing what a “success emotion” feels like. Achieving new goals provides that emotion, and will help you start to believe in yourself more. When you do, you take on bigger challenges, and achieve more. That’s what participating in our programs does for both the participants and volunteers.
“We all know about paying attention to our own physical health. Getting out and being physically active also has a very therapeutic effect on self-esteem. When you are in a place where you are struggling with various challenges, getting to a place where you can leave your worries behind and have fun is a pretty special place to be. Afterwards, we share those moments with others. In doing so, we share the story we lived, and we can relate to people in new ways.”
- Companies talk a lot about corporate culture and team-building exercises and other activities. How aware are companies, both small and large, of the benefit these programs bring to their teams, or even that many of their own staff members at one time may have benefitted from this program?
“You know it’s interesting when it comes to corporate culture. Back in the day when I first started team building and outdoor activities, it was a big thing, people bought into it, and money was not the issue. But nowadays after periods of cost cutting, corporate culture often is viewed as a marketing expense, and not as people development. But, corporate culture doesn’t begin or end when you walk in or out of the office. It is about creating a culture of giving back, and doing so in our broader community.”
Some may think that statement is self-serving…
“I find that when groups do participate in outward facing activities, those cultures flourish, and the entire company benefits. To help everyone step out of their normal routines, we choose to utilize programs that are rooted in nature, because we have found it creates connections that many of us miss. Both the first-time volunteers, and the participants often miss these connections. Moving people out of their comfort zone drives personal growth. Setting the right corporate culture goes beyond the office. If you claim otherwise as a business owner, then your culture’s probably lacking.
“When we started our programs, they were simply about “put someone in a kayak and show him or her a good time for a couple hours.” But now it has evolved so that if that person goes into a kayak and is with us for a period of time, we consciously work to develop serious skills and confidence; they start seeing their life as a productive person in the community, and we see the people who helped them grow too.
“We bring organizations and people together and learn. We began by building programs that helped youth, and we are proud of the successes that we have accomplished. But what we came to recognize over time was the direct beneficiaries were not just the participants, it was everyone.”
So how can you help & get involved? In Victoria BC, we recommend you get in touch with Power to Be. Alacrity supports Power to Be, and we hope you will too!
What we all need to recognize is Corporate Social Responsibility is not just about giving to the community. Smart, well-thought out CSR initiatives are also about our own companies, and the people who work with us to deliver our value to others. We have opportunities as a group of like-minded individuals to work together and make a difference. If our company culture supports and encourages this, we benefit as an organization, and our community benefits from our participation.
Too often people think of CSR in two dimensions: We give money to help a cause, and we get credit. That does not help corporate culture, nor does it really assist the community. We all know the story: Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish, and he’ll never go hungry. A good CSR initiative teaches people to fish, but it also rewards the teachers by allowing them to gain experience, confidence, and to learn new skills.