Over the past week I’ve noticed a lot of smiling faces in our virtual team meetings and around the office. Volunteering can have that effect. It’s one of those activities that, in a very meaningful way, makes you feel connected and alive. It’s an opportunity for us to be a little more selfless and step outside of the “me, me, me” of everyday life. And the result? Lots of happy faces 😄
Introducing Purpose Days
We recently kicked off our first “Purpose Day”— volunteer events that are fully coordinated by us, for companies. We bring the refreshments, photography, and partner with a local nonprofit to put together a great team-building volunteer activity that produces a real, tangible impact. All companies have to do is show up 🙌
Celebrating Earth Day
Our inaugural Purpose Day kicked off on Earth Day where we partnered with Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society to bring together 7 Vancouver companies in an effort to help give their David Thompson farm some much-needed love ❤️ Fresh Roots runs educational farms and programs where students dig into meaningful connections with the land, food, and each other, inspiring communities to build just food systems. This is the kind of work that connects you deeply to the Earth.
We shared laughs, plenty of high fives, and most importantly, we spruced up the farm in a really impactful way. It was the first time Fresh Roots worked with so many different companies all at once. There were certainly some unknowns in all of this, but the result was incredible!
Many Hands Make Light Work
Teams descended on the farm in the early afternoon and after a quick icebreaker session, they started getting their hands dirty and feeling the soil beneath their fingertips. Companies split up into teams and took on a number of high-impact projects throughout the farm. Let’s dive into a few things that got done that day!
The pathways between garden beds were looking rather rough. Weeds and invasive plants were overgrowing from the pathway into the farm. And the rough, uneven ground wasn’t accessible for all students. The before and after pictures speak for themselves!
Fresh Roots runs educational programming for kids & youth, and demand for their programming has been growing. Our volunteers busted out saws & drills and built new benches to facilitate this programming. This would’ve been a full day of staff time and a few volunteers got it done in an hour!
It wouldn’t really be working on a farm without some digging and tilling. Volunteers got together and hopped (literally!) on the broad fork to dig up some soil, rake it into rows, and get some beautiful new vegetables planted in the garden beds.
"Working on the farm was super fun, and I thought it was really great to get to know folks from other organizations as well! "Networking" events are a drag but volunteering opportunities with other organizations is a great way to make new connections."
Volunteers wrapped up the event by planting native BC species throughout the farm. It was a great way to celebrate Earth Day in a way that connected us directly with our local land. From labrador to salal, we planted it all.
Volunteers went above and beyond for Earth Day, and we were thrilled to be able to help coordinate something that made such a difference for a nonprofit in our community. When companies give back, communities are happier, healthier, and stronger.
"It was great seeing the impact, but also doing something that I typically don't do (gardening) was so refreshing."
The Road Ahead
Events like these are really just the beginning. I think one of our biggest takeaways is that employee volunteering doesn’t just happen through software alone. It’s about truly getting out in the community and giving back, and we’re here to make that as simple as possible. It’s a blend of coordinating events, helping you coordinate your own, and leveraging our software to make team-building fun and accessible.
Here’s to more volunteering, happier employees, and stronger communities 🙌
