York County Medicine Summer 2020 - 39

YO R K C O M E D S O C . O R G

through volunteering
The Power of Groups

A Day of Action

Volunteering isn't limited to just individuals, and oftentimes
your experience can be a lot more fun when you grab a friend
or family member or get a whole group involved. What's more,
volunteering as a group or with your company can provide twofold benefits: Make an impact in our community, and create a
team-building exercise where different departments can get to
know one another in a different setting. Projects can boost morale
and increase productivity in the workplace.

Not ready to dive in as an individual, and not sure about
organizing a group? Special events are a great, low-pressure way to
get involved with other individual volunteers who might be new
to the experience. These events can introduce you to new people
and uncover an array of volunteer opportunities nearby.

One great example of a group we've worked with at the
Volunteer Center is GEA Systems North America LLC. Each
quarter, GEA works with United Way of York County staff to
develop projects with local nonprofits to engage their employees
and encourage them to give back to the community. Most
recently, their group helped the York County Food Bank unpack
and shelve a shipment of food donations to be distributed to
those in need to address food insecurity in York County. Giving
just four hours a month, GEA employees have completed six
projects since January 2019, totaling more than 250 volunteer
hours and $6,000 in local economic impact.
"Everyone that participates in a volunteer day has remarked
on how rewarding and enjoyable it is to do these projects," said
Linda Kern, administrative assistant for GEA Systems North
America, LLC, and coordinator extraordinaire for GEA's quarterly
opportunities. "It is a great way to give back to our community!"

Getting involved as a group is similar to
volunteering as an individual, with only a
few more things to consider. Below is a list
of things to review when getting involved
as a group, as well as an example of what
an involvement might look like.

United Way of York County holds York County's largest
single-day volunteer event each year in June: Day of Action. For
one day, United Way brings together organizations, groups, and
individuals from across the community to volunteer and give
back. In 2019, United Way saw more than 1,000 volunteers
from 107 local companies volunteer at 87 different projects, from
Hellam to Shrewsbury to Hanover to Dillsburg to York City.
Any nonprofit in York County can submit a volunteer
project that fulfills a need the organization has. Then, once a
list of projects has been collected by United Way, registration
opens to the community, and groups and individuals can sign
up to volunteer at a project of their choice. Local companies are
encouraged to give employees the day or part of the day off from
work so that employees can volunteer and see first-hand how
important volunteering is to local organizations. Projects run
the gamut-anything from cleaning horse stables or painting a
hallway, to reading books to children or setting up a community
fair at a senior living facility.
Day of Action provides a chance for anyone to get involved,
and we often hear from first-time volunteers that they want to
come back to the organization and continue to give their time.
This year, we're looking forward to a great event on Friday,
June 19, and project registration is already open for nonprofits.
Get all the details at www.unitedway-york.org/day-of-action.

Reach out and get started!
If your interest is piqued and you want to get involved
with volunteering, reach out to United Way of York County's
Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, Bryce Kruger, at krugerb@
unitedway-york.org or 717-771-3809. We're always happy to help
you make the connection to a nonprofit that needs your time and
support, and the best way to get involved is simply to begin: Find
your passion, determine your impact, and pick a place.

LIVE UNITED
SUMMER 2020 | York County Medicine

http://www.YORKCOMEDSOC.ORG http://www.unitedway-york.org/day-of-action

York County Medicine Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of York County Medicine Summer 2020