Let’s examine one Leap Day activity that will bring personal rewards. But first, what is Leap Day? Every four years, we are treated to an extra 24 hours, and this year we got lucky. February 29th, aka Leap Day, occurs on a Saturday. This year’s Leap day doesn’t provide us a 3-day weekend, and aside from the calendar anomaly, it’s easy to miss. However, that 24 hours could instead be a chance to step outside your comfort zone, give back to the community, and build key skills. Volunteering combines all three of those goals.
When you choose volunteer work as a Leap Day activity, you are taking good steps to spend that extra day giving back to the community. You will also find greater satisfaction in selfless service compared to binging Netflix on the couch.
Before you jump in, let’s go over a few fun Leap Day facts:
- Leap days occur because it takes the Earth slightly longer than 365 days to orbit the Sun. It actually takes 365.242 days, so every four years we add an extra day to balance out the calendar.
- The practice of accounting for a leap day can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians. Pope Gregory started the current tradition in the 1500s as a reform of the Julian Calendar. He sought to maintain alignment between the calendar and the seasons, according to Time Magazine.
Get an Employer to Sponsor Your Leap Day Volunteer Activity
Employer-sponsored volunteer programs are an easy way to find attractive service opportunities. And as a bonus, you often receive credit or compensation for participating. Whether organized as a group or a solo mission, volunteering through your employer is a popular Leap Day activity.
According to charities.com, 71% of employees surveyed say it’s imperative or very important to work where culture is supportive of giving and volunteerism. Therefore, employers are integrating paid philanthropic and volunteer programs as part of employee benefits. Participating in a volunteer program alone can boost your morale and have a great benefit to those you serve. Employers are now betting that a corporate effort towards volunteering can impart pride associated with your company.
Build Camaraderie with a Leap Day Activity
Philanthropic participation is also a great way to build camaraderie with your co-workers. You may find you’ll work more productively with your colleagues after you’ve partaken in a Leap Day activity together. For instance, assisting with intake at an animal shelter, collecting coats, or serving food to the homeless. Salesforce’s paid volunteering program 1-1-1 elicits participation from 82% from its 20,000 global employees – many of whom volunteer in groups. They report that one of the benefits of group volunteering is connecting with new people within the company that you might not work with on a day-to-day basis.
Better yet, your employer could arrange Delux Worldwide Transportation’s Corporate Car Service to send your group to its volunteering location. Our full range of high-end vehicles for large groups includes Coach Bus and Executive Vans. Delux has been providing high-end corporate car service to hundreds of business executives over the last 50 years. Open a corporate account by visiting our website or app. Enjoy all the details of your business travel flawlessly executed by a specifically-assigned account manager.
Are you still trying to convince your employer to adopt a sponsored volunteer program? Another benefit of volunteering is the opportunity to grow key skills needed in the workplace. Non-profits are always looking for direct help with their key stakeholders – such as the homeless. But these service organizations could also use help with day-to-day operations to support their mission. Marketing, accounting, IT, and data analytics are four of the most necessary functions for non-profits, according to volunteer match platform Catchafire. All are also valuable skills well worth considering on your Leap Day Activity.
Build your Own Volunteer Group
Not all employers are quick to build a sponsored volunteer program. But that shouldn’t stop you from stepping forward on Leap Day.
There are scores of like-minded people on websites such as CatchaFire and VolunteerMatch. All would like to volunteer in their spare time over the weekend. Link up with others and offer to coordinate transportation for your Leap Day Activity. Delux’s 24/7 dispatch service is available to arrange transportation across the Tri-State area and Long Island.
Leap Day occurring on the weekend also allows ample opportunity to attend a fundraising event or if you’re lucky, a charity gala. Scores of fundraisers occur every night in New York. And while they might need black-tie attire or limousine service in New York, it’s always nice to know that your evening is going to a better cause.
Dedicating your time to volunteer is commendable, particularly on a free day that only occurs once every four years. While serving others, also remember to reward yourself. Rather than sitting in traffic or traversing public transportation, put your time to its most effective use. Contact Delux Transportation to discuss all the logistics for your group. Call us at (516) 883-1900, book online, or use the mobile app.
