#Bayer4IMPACT — Why I Got Involved with Giving Back
By Francys Cocco, Customer Business Manager, Consumer Health
When I think about what makes Bayer a great place to work, it’s the employees and the organization’s focus on living our mission: Science for a better life. This year’s National Community Service Day, where the company engaged 1,000+ employees who volunteered at more than 62 organizations across the United States, is an example of this. Last year I participated in New Jersey and had the opportunity to meet and work with colleagues from across divisions to deliver and set up new furniture for teachers at a school in Paterson. What better way to spend a day away from the office? Our volunteer group was busy moving, engaging with colleagues, and giving back. I knew I’d participate again the following year.
My positive experience was one of the reasons I decided to step up my involvement in this year’s Community Service Day. When the call for IMPACT Ambassadors (project leaders) came out early this summer, I turned around to my colleague and workspace neighbor, Deanna Zuber, and said, “We should do this!” You are probably thinking, why would anyone with a full-time job (and a one-hour commute home) sign up to be responsible for planning and leading Community Service Day activities for an office with more than 2,000 people? We asked ourselves that same question. What were the consequences of signing up for this? The truth is, there are many and all of them are positive. Below are just a few of the reasons why and some observations as I reflect on the experience.
Do Good, and You’ll Feel Good
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine. We sometimes forget to take time to give back to others and make time for the things we are passionate about. Community Service has always been a passion of mine, but lately, it seems there’s always something big that gets prioritized, whether it’s wedding planning or transitioning into a new role. I knew this opportunity would give me a chance to give back both to the community and to others in the organization. When you do good you feel good. In fact, participating in this initiative added some diversity to my days that left me energized. Committing to lead this positive effort in the company was like raising my hand and saying I will make this a priority. Don’t get me wrong, there were stressful days. Like the days trying figure out how and where to buy 160 pumpkins (and how to transport them) for our volunteer activity at PG Chambers, a local school for students with special needs. But even during these days, it felt good to be problem solving for something good that will no doubt bring smiles to people’s faces.
You’ll Learn New Skill Sets
There’s a lot to learn from signing up to work on projects that are outside of “what you do.” I knew that signing up to be a NJ IMPACT Ambassador would give me exposure to things I wouldn’t be exposed to in my job, and would help me build my skills in other areas and help me to further develop existing skill sets. In this role I was able to work on my leadership skills in working with the fantastic NJ Site IMPACT Project Leads. My project management skills were put to the test and I developed a better understanding of Bayer’s Corporate & Social Responsibility team and strategies.
Meet Really Cool People
As NJ Site IMPACT Co-Ambassadors, Deanna and I had to engage and work with colleagues across divisions and functions. The Project Team was made up of colleagues from Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility, IT, Regulatory, and the list goes on. I was also able to meet many of the partnership development teams at the organizations we volunteered with. But the best part was meeting all of the students I met at the PG Chambers School where I volunteered. Bayer volunteers set up a pumpkin patch at the school for the students. They came out in groups and we had the opportunity to engage with them in picking their pumpkins and we even read some funny (and corny!) pumpkin jokes.
It Takes a Village and We’ve Got the Best One!
I’m so proud of and grateful for everyone involved in pulling this day together. They came together and delivered on their responsibilities but also went above and beyond to help each other. Whether it was placing orders for supplies or helping hand out t-shirts to volunteers, everyone’s commitment and passion to making the day a success was contagious and energizing.
I encourage anyone looking to get more involved in giving back to “raise your hand” when opportunities like these come your way. It can seem overwhelming at first, but in reality the impact you will make and the impact it will have on you makes it all manageable and well worth it.
