Living out our commitment to our communities is a critical part of reaching our firm’s 2020 Vision: “We deliver unrivaled focused expertise. We collaborate to proactively guide and serve our people, clients and communities to realize their full potential.” Even our Wise Firm culture is founded on We and Service. It’s safe to say that we are a firm that believes in giving back and serving others and that it’s not just talk. One of my favorite ways we do this is through our Summer of Service program.
Each summer, every single HORNE team member is given a fully paid day to serve in their local community alongside a team of HORNE peers. This year, we served 40+ different organizations, totaling more than 2,600 hours—which is the equivalent of one full time team member devoted to community service, plus some overtime!
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of several different Summer of Service projects from serving at soup kitchens to helping build kennels at the animal shelter. Each project is rewarding in its own way, but serving at the soup kitchen is my favorite. It really made me appreciate what I have and gave me an awareness of what goes on in my own community. Sometimes we can get so busy with the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we forget to look up and notice what’s going on right next to us. We can forget to stop and say thanks for what we’ve been given.
Not only do we get to serve our communities, but we also strengthen the bond between our team. Our annual Summer of Service program gives us the opportunity to work with team members from other areas of the firm that we may not normally work with. It’s nice to build relationships while building a better community.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We have a duty to our own community to help in times of need. I find it commendable to be part of firm that is willing to get in the trenches and help those around us. Count your blessings and let HORNE be one of those.
About the Author
Kim Jenkins is passionately doing her part to reach our firm’s 2020 Vision each day. She is a supervisor in Government Services currently working on a Hazard Mitigation project where she assists with disaster relief management and compliance.