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Community Service Day 2002
My employer is owned by USA Interactive, a Barry Diller controlled company. USA Interactive has a tradition (probably all of a couple of years old now...) of a Community Service Day, where you get some time off to perform "meaningful work in your local community" that "aid the less fortunate and enrich the lives of our respective communities." Those are quotes from Barry Diller.
So my employer has chosen the following two programs for our company's participation: the Washington Trails Association and the Metro Bus Shelter Murals Program.
While both are nice, and marginally enrich the lives of our respective communities, neither aid the the less fortunate. Not in a meaningful way at least. It feels like a cop-out to me. Why not a soup kitchen, or food bank, or Seattle or East King County Habitat for Humanity?
The company's choices are too damn safe.
And yes, I am not just carping here. I sent a nice note to our CEO and VP of Human Resources explaining my reservations about their choices.
Bravo! plus commentary
I applaud your desire to touch the community in a deeper and more grass roots level...something which we ALL realistically have the power to do, without special time off from our companies. That's a noble goal and idea, that few follow up on after the initial concerns manifest within.
I ALSO applaud the owner of your company for, at least, making an attempt to touch the community in some lasting way. Although the inner city people might not be immediately affected by a Washington Trails Project, many people WOULD be, and clearing trails is no small feat. I have 12 acres, ask me, it's hard work, but enriching, and lasting!
As to the mural project. I happen to be a fan of street art or murals and even tagging...so I love that idea. At least people would be beautifying the bland hum drum in the world...something BOTH of his projects of choice seem to lean toward.
I think it's wonderful that you stuck your neck out and wrote to the people in charge of the project petitioning for a more relief oriented project direction, or at least explaining your point of view. I don't know that I would have. But then I'm an artsy fartsy type.
I've served at my share of soup kitchens, performed live music at rescue missions numbers of times, and brought food to 'street people', but that was primarily on my own. I never have been very good at the corporate 'do good' thang! Although I'd support it if I worked for Expedia!! *wink *wink
Peace,
L
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