The Corporate Citizen, July 2007

Section: Features

Corporate Month of Service Challenge: Consider the possibilities

Hands On Network is challenging the business community to consider the possibilities.

Could we be doing more? How can we come together to bring about positive change? Corporate Month of Service (CMOS) provides a vehicle for companies across the country and around the world to make a meaningful investment in their communities through volunteer service.

A Legacy of Service
During the September 2006 CMOS, nearly 62,000 corporate volunteers participated in service projects in 1,094 communities with 1,225 community partners, demonstrating the power and potential for social change existing within the business community. While their achievements were significant, a single month of service only goes so far in capturing the true scope of corporate volunteerism. 

This year, CMOS, an event led by the Hands On Network Corporate Service Council, will deliver meaningful volunteer service to communities across the nation and in key global markets by issuing a business-to-business challenge to increase employee involvement. 

Going Global
This year, Hands On Network is organizing projects in major international markets, such as Tokyo, enabling participating corporations to further engage employees in communities where they live and work, while at the same time, demonstrating the company's core values abroad.

Hands On Tokyo is Japan's first bilingual volunteer clearinghouse; enabling both foreign and Japanese nationals to volunteer together. As structured volunteerism is new to Japan, Hands On Tokyo brings to life the Hands On Network model of service enabling volunteers, both corporate and individual, to engage in the community. 

This is not only important when looking at corporate team building, but also when looking at cross-cultural team building. Volunteering together gives employees of different backgrounds the chance to see each other in different roles, collaborating for the common good and building a sense of camaraderie that is seldom achieved in traditional business environments.

Each society has different cultural norms related to volunteerism and service. The Hands On Network model provides the flexibility that each international affiliate needs to tailor the type of service activity that will benefit each country, company, and individual.

Sending the Message
Corporate citizenship as it relates to volunteerism is as regular as the work day, but nowhere is the collective impact aggregated and celebrated. This year, Hands On Network is seeking to amplify these year-round service contributions to celebrate the broader impact of corporate volunteers.

"At Cbeyond, giving back to the community is an important part of our corporate culture.  Volunteerism enriches the lives of our employees and enables them to develop leadership skills by being engaged corporate citizens. The pride and feeling of accomplishment that service projects give our employees is immeasurable. Our business benefits from employee retention and increased brand exposure," said Jim Geiger, CEO and Chairman, Cbeyond, Inc.

Business-to-Business Challenge
"Volunteering in the communities where we live and work is a part of UPS' culture," said Mike Eskew, chairman and CEO of UPS. "Our employees are actively involved, investing their time tutoring and mentoring public school children, revitalizing neighborhoods, and much more.

"As chairman of the Corporate Service Council, I'd like to extend a formal invitation to corporations to accept the corporate challenge by joining us for Corporate Month of Service. Corporate Month of Service represents a unique opportunity for companies to activate employees in communities where they live and work, especially in at-risk neighborhoods across the country."

Hands On Network is inviting you to "accept the challenge" for this year's Corporate Month of Service by committing to increase your company's volunteer contributions by 10% and by issuing the challenge to two of your peer companies.

Involve your company by visiting the Corporate Month of Service website to browse a list of projects happening in your city.

To accept the challenge, share your story, link your existing efforts to the cause, or find out more, contact Jennifer Highsmith at cmos2007@handsonnetwork.org.

www.behandson.org/project-tags/cmos

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