Best Practices

Think small: Valuing service in the new normal

In a week that included both the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday — celebrated as the National Day of Service — and a presidential inauguration, the value of service has been highlighted even more than usual. The service of our national leaders, those who keep us safe, and those who work to keep us healthy — service to the greater good is one of the qualities we most admire and appreciate. Today, service is absolutely critical on a massive scale as we all deal with a worldwide pandemic, knowing that we must all work together toward common goals to have an impact.   And yet, with lockdowns and social distancing protocols in place, those of us not providing direct service can feel at a loss. How can I help my community if I can’t even meet people in person? How can I support others I should be staying away from? At the beginning of the pandemic, we had to discontinue our office participation in Meals on Wheels delivery — a volunteering effort we’ve been involved in for years. While this was definitely the right decision, it was difficult to feel like we were letting down members of our community who relied on our service — one of our core values. For health and safety reasons, of course, it was the best way we could try to keep everyone safe. Service in “the new normal” This new normal requires us to rethink how we view service. For some, the idea of […]