Three Office Team-Building Activities that Give Back to the Community

More than lifting spirits, volunteering as an office allows employees to give back to the community and get to know and appreciate one another on a different level. Ultimately, this can foster better relationships in the workplace – especially among employees who don’t work directly with one another on a daily basis. Here are three team-building activities that will get the whole office involved.

• Find out what areas your team is most passionate about and then organize volunteer opportunities that support those passions to get employees engaged. Pet lovers can visit a local animal shelter to walk dogs, those with a passion for helping kids can assist at a local children’s hospital by putting together toys or playing with patients, or employees who enjoy spending time in the kitchen can spend an afternoon preparing meals at a homeless shelter. Whatever venue you choose, your company’s time and actions will be greatly appreciated.
• Dedicate time to sprucing up a local park or school playground. A group of employees can make a big difference in just a few hours for organizations that may not have the resources to do so on their own. At Boise Paper, we make an effort to travel to different cities throughout the year for our Project UP™ program. Through this partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, we team up with community members and local organizations to plant trees, revitalize parks and transform communities.
• Encourage a friendly competition among the office by participating in a challenge. For example, split employees up into two groups and see who can put together the most care packages for a nursing home in an hour, or which team can be the first to build 30 bikes for underprivileged children. If your office is full of athletes, gather a team of coworkers to raise money for a charity and run a race together. Possibilities are endless, and even more ideas for corporate challenge events can be found here.

Getting the office involved in just one of these activities is a great way for colleagues to bond outside of work and help the local community. What activity would you like to see your office participate in?