Week #7

This week, we came out of Runner’s Camp mode and were faced with the effects of such a great week spent with kids. Runner’s Camp, a free track and field event for children in the community that is put on by the Dream Center of Gaston County, ended last Thursday and we were all pleased with the turn out. However, this week we had to deconstruct the carefully organized event which was not quite as eventful. Because this year the Dream Center moved towards more self sufficiency in buying almost all the track and field equipment instead of renting it, I had the challenging job of organizing all of it into the storage room. In past years they have never had as much to store, so this was a new encounter. Typically, individuals in both companies I work for operate on an individualistic agenda, just because there are so many tasks and few people to see them through. However, a volunteer was in the office on Monday and helped me organize equipment which made the process go by much quicker.

While Monday’s organizing was not the most eventful of days, Wednesday’s task proved to be the highlight of my working week. It was my job to organize personalized thank you cards for each of the volunteers using pictures from Runner’s Camp. This was tedious but so worth it because all of the volunteers who donated their time to making this event possible will receive a unique thank you that lets them know we truly could not have held the event without their cooperation. There’s nothing quite like a hand written card to make someone feel extra special, and incorporating this practice into a nonprofit sets the company apart as being unique and committed to making the community a special place.