Tis the season when United Way posters spring up in shop windows, volunteers jingle their bells near Christmas kettles and food drive hampers overflow.
But as businesses are hit hard by a global recession, it may be difficult for Centretown business owners and employees to think of others this holiday season when their personal job security or dwindling retirement funds are real concerns.
The multitude of news stories projecting charities will suffer the brunt of an economic recession adds to the feeling of unease.
But even in turbulent economic times, corporate social responsibility makes sense, both during the holidays and year round.
Times are tough and with the government finally suggesting that Canada has joined the ranks of other countries in an official recession, businesses can easily use tough economic times as cause to cut back on corporate giving and volunteering, or to cut it out altogether.
Maybe that fat charity cheque isn’t a possibility this year, but there are more creative ways to give.
Many Centretown businesses can and do give their time, and their employees’ time, rather than a cash donation, with great benefit to both their company and the community.
Volunteering time to the community is something human rights lawyer Lawrence Greenspon stands by.
Once a year, Greenspon puts a closed sign on the door of his Centretown law firm, and his staff of four lawyers and three administrators head down to the Ottawa Mission to serve up breakfast, paint, organize clothing or pitch in wherever they are needed.
There is still a cost when four high-profile lawyers and their staff take a day off from their regular duties, but Greenspon says it is well worth it.
“There is definitely a loss of income,” Greenspon says. “But everyone feels good. It’s certainly a boost to the morale for everyone in the office.”
An event outside of the normal office routine – like serving a meal to the homeless, repainting community housing or playing cards at a seniors centre – challenges employees to work as a team in a new environment, says Volunteer Ottawa communications manager Jill Woodley.
“Team building is a huge factor,” Woodley says. “They’re going to come to work refreshed and with a new attitude. It’s a lovely way for community engagement, where they can see beyond the work horizon.”
Sal Iacono, who is the 2008 Ottawa United Way campaign chair, says he saw first-hand how charitable and volunteer workplace activities translated into more productive employees when he worked as a senior vice-president at Bell Canada.
“They feel better about the organization, they feel better about themselves, and that translates into [better] customer service,” says Iacono, who retired from Bell in July.
Imagine then, if businesses stepped up their volunteer efforts year-round and not just during holiday season United Way campaigns and food drives. Businesses would have engaged staff, stronger teams at work, stronger communities and better customer service year-round.
This isn’t as difficult as it may sound.
With minimal effort, volunteer and charitable activities can become part of a yearly business plan.
Many larger volunteer-driven organizations, like the Ottawa Mission, have full-time volunteer co-ordinators who can find special projects for corporate groups.
The City of Ottawa has a webpage dedicated to volunteer opportunities.
Volunteer Ottawa, a non-profit charity, has an entire section of their website and a staff member dedicated to facilitate corporate volunteer organizations.
Or perhaps volunteer opportunities can come from looking at the surrounding community in a new way. Maybe that park across the road could use a cleanup or maybe shelves at the local food bank are looking a little bare come mid-July.
In tough economic times it’s easy for individuals, and for businesses, to take an isolationist approach and focus only on internal problems, but Greenspon says a downturn in the economy is an even greater reason for his business, and others in Centretown, to keep giving.
“What you have to look at is, in tough economic times, it’s even tougher for people who need charity,” he says.