Community engagement as an organization
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Lorelei Vener
As the community around us changes, we've been trying to stay involved in a positive way that aligns with our role as IT providers. We're always hearing about great opportunities through our clients, and try to make a positive change through and with them.
We've been trying to take that a step further as a group – more than half of BITS has been working with Community Cooks, a Somerville-based organization that provides meals to non-profits and educational facilities in the area.
The team members who aren't there getting their hands dirty are supporting the organization in other ways; picking up the slack during on-call hours when team members are making sandwiches or other meals, providing encouragement during team meetings, and recipes and meal ideas for the team members who cook.
What does community engagement on a small team mean to BITS?
"It was nice to do something meaningful while hanging out with friends," says Tyler Smith, IT Engineer, who makes sandwiches for East End House once a month with BITS coworkers.
At the Community Cooks training session, Travis Swain stepped aside to talk with the organizer about Travis' band providing free entertainment during an upcoming fundraiser.
I always have a wonderful time working with my coworkers on a project like this outside of work – so much so that Erik Olson and I began volunteering with Y2Y, a youth shelter in Harvard Square, as well.
The projects that we're working on aren't directly involved with IT, and are much more linked to the BITS culture of community and collaboration.
BITS is continuing to look at ways to get involved, as individuals and as an organization, in the community – a process which continues to be supported by Workbar through their crowd-sourced community based updates.
If you have other ways you'd like to see us get involved with the community, please reach out! We're often looking for new ways to help out in the neighborhood.
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