Footprints Left Behind…Our Conferences

While on site visits in the last week or so, I noticed many hotels and other locations have removed their fall or Halloween decorations and already put up Christmas trees. I truly almost resent the fact that as a society we seem to just skip right over Thanksgiving.

I realize it’s a personal peeve of mine because I love Thanksgiving. It doesn’t get muddied up with the presents and gifts and “I want…” lists. It’s strictly about family and being thankful for what we have. And in a year such as this one when so many people are out of work and our own neighbors may be in need, it’s important to be thankful for what we have and to try to do some good. And this got me to thinking about what good our events can do.

Lives of Great men all remind us,
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us,
Footprints on the Sands of Time…….
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For the past several years, we have tried to incorporate some form of community service at one or more of our annual conferences. By painting and deep cleaning a youth homeless shelter or building bikes for foster children or providing school supplies and toys for children whose families are living in a homeless shelter. One of the challenges I find in incorporating these into the overall event is time. Aren’t we all already so pressed for time at our conferences to fit in the appropriate content and the right mix of networking? Then add the logistical challenges of finding causes and venues where 300 to 700 people can participate and make a difference in a short amount of time along with physically transferring everyone.

So I started collecting ideas I’ve run across on the news or in magazines (or yes, on Oprah).  Ideas that can be incorporated into our events simply by asking attendees to bring a small item to the conference or by designating a local organization to receive donations. I wanted to share information on some of these great organizations and individuals I ran across in the hopes that we as individuals, or our organizations, or our own conferences, can help.

• Pajama Program - $10.00 donation gives pajamas to orphans and foster children around the world. Scholastic donates a book for every set of pajamas donated. How easy is it to fit a pair of kids’ pajamas into your suitecase? Host a Pajama Drive. There are chapters or individuals in many cities around the U.S. and other countries so the immediate community benefits.
• The Dinner Garden - $5.00 donation provides enough vegetable seeds to feed a family of seven here in the U.S.  End hunger through gardening.
• Vitamin Angels – $1.00 gift can provide vitamin supplements to children under the age of 5 and pregnant women around the world and yes, even in poor areas of the U.S.
• Share our Strength - Feed a child for a month with a $35.00 donation (one less dinner out with friends or family).
• Micro Loans – Give the gift of Opportunity. Individuals receive a loan to help them create or start their own business. When they repay their loan then those dollars are used to finance another loan. It’s a perpetual system. There may be business opportunities that tie in with your industry.
• Hannah’s Socks - A donation of $5.00 buys seven pairs of socks for a homeless person.  (FYI: socks and undergarments are the least donated item.)  Hannah was a 4-year old who with her parents was helping serve dinner at a shelter and she noticed a man without socks and she worried he’d be cold. She and her parents donated socks to area shelters for a couple of years before expanding their efforts. Currently based in Northwest and Southwest Ohio.
• Evelyn Mount and her husband began by feeding 25 homeless and needy families a Thanksgiving meal out of their family’s kitchen in 1976 in Reno, NV and now feed thousands each year, still operating out of the garage. Additionally, throughout the year Evelyn seeks donations so she can cook and deliver meals for low-income seniors and grandparents raising grandchildren on tight budgets.
• Haven for Hope in San Antonio – I recently was able to visit this new facility, a campus really which is still in progress, and was so impressed. Haven for Hope treats the root causes of homelessness with a wide array of social services in a single and central location. Donations or volunteer opportunties exist for individuals and groups.

So think about it.  You can easily find a cause that ties into your industry. Can you add a page or blurb to your conference website? Can you add a donation box near the on-site registration for dropping off items? Can you and your organization and your attendees make a difference? Yes, you can.