Thirteen Brookings Rotary members (including “our” Dr. Isaiah Crevie) met here yesterday to make and assemble 80 “movie night” gift bags for our Mentees. Kathy Miller, Programming Chair, came to help, too. Thanks! We will distribute these at the Dec. 3rd Cookie & Craft event, then take the rest to the schools for the counselors to distribute to the Mentees.
A group of young professionals at 3M made the Santa gift cards that you see on the gift bags. The group is called NEON, and Maria Steblay, the employee who reached out to us about volunteering, said they’d be willing to help BCYMP again with specific events or needs. This kind of volunteering as part of a social or work group is preferred by millennials. The “Millennial Impact Report shared that “77% of millennials said they’re more likely to volunteer when they can use their specific skills or expertise to benefit a cause.” The same number of people “preferred to perform cause work with groups of fellow employees as opposed to doing independent service projects.” Base line: It’s fun to do good work together while building relationships.
On the back of each card, the NEON group wrote a unique note of encouragement, signed “Your Friend.” I was especially touched by these 80 notes. Here’s are just two:
Keep shining! I believe in you.Live the life you imagine. Sometimes in order to live that life, you have to push through the hard times. I’m rooting for you.
THANK YOU, 3M & Brookings Rotary Club!
And THANK YOU to Volunteer Connections, who helped NEON get in touch with us.