Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1304428
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION OCTOBER 28, 2020 Page 4 Continued on page 11 National Make a Difference Day 2020…continued from page 3 Companies that have helped the community in this way report that the employees feel more closely tied to these groups. • Options are restricted only by your imagination. Don't stop with these tried and true ways of making a difference. Portable sanitation companies who have made important contributions to their community have done so by: » Organizing recycling events » Volunteering at a local animal rescue » Participating in a blood drive » Working to improve a local park » "Adopting" a local highway and keeping it free of trash » Spearheading food collection drives, particularly around the holidays » Supporting various scouting programs » And probably undertaking many other activities the PSAI just hasn't heard of yet. How to Get Started and Not Get Overwhelmed One recommendation concerning donations and contributions is to have a "donation plan" each year. To avoid requests for donations and charitable work on a weekly basis, inform each group that approaches your company during the current year that they may make their requests to your company at the beginning of each year (or whenever else makes sense for your planning process). After you've reviewed the requests and worked the chosen commitments into your operations and budget, confirm your plans with the selected organizations for the coming year. Some companies also will have an "emergency fund" set aside in their budget in the event of some unforeseen need. Having a process like this not only allows you to prioritize causes that mean the most to you, they give you an "out" when the many, many calls for help we can get as business owners roll in. Rolling all requests into an annual planning process will likely save you and your team a lot of time. National Make A Difference Day in Action—Sarabia's Portable Jons in El Paso, Texas Monica Brown, owner and longtime PSAI member, shared several examples from her firm's activities to inspire other companies in our industry. During these tough economic times, a local food bank called and asked for units to be set outside their distribution center, recounts Monica. "Concurrently, I got calls from community leaders for donations to the same food bank. So, we figured that we could make a difference by contributing some funds but mostly by donating units/services for their ongoing efforts to feed a community in need." Monica says of this donation effort, "We will be there for as long as needed." Monica Brown