A-MAY-zing ideas to volunteer as a team.

Volunteering is a great way to help others and, at the same time, improve our own experiences. Now, increase that joy by sharing it with your family, friends and co-workers.

Team volunteering delivers strength in numbers, builds community spirit and creates memorable experiences. Whether you plan a team challenge or repurpose one of your monthly team meetings as a time of service, giving back gives you the opportunity to help make change in a community and work towards something great together. Here are ways to get your whole team involved in May.

Walk, talk and collect as a team

Getting outside can be good for the body and the soul. So, whether you walk, run, or roll, create a team and get out there, knowing that every mile is in honor of one of these great causes:

• Walk 1 mile in support our veterans dealing with PTSD and for suicide awareness. Operation Job Ready Vets is a non-profit that assists in transitioning into a civilian lifestyle by assisting in job placement and opportunities when dealing with PTSD. VzMedia employees sign up for Walk 1 mile here.
• Walk to promote awareness and share encouragement, hope and kindness and reduce the stigma of mental health with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Have a pet? Bring them with you. VzMedia employees sign up for NAMI Walk here.
• Take 30-60 minutes outside with 2 containers: 1 to collect trash and 1 to collect recyclables (while following local safety guidelines). Pick up whatever you find and dispose of it properly. This can be done in any public location, such as a beach, park or neighborhood. VzMedia employees sign up for cleanup here.

It’s crafty and it’s just my type

Crafting has positive effects on your health, reducing stress, increasing cognitive ability and improving your sleep. Even if you are not crafty, we have an event for you.

• Don’t sew? No problem. You can participate in a group crafting event by making a no-sew blanket for a veteran. Watch the instructional video together as a team and then begin crafting to help a veteran. VzMedia employees sign up here for the no sew blanket event.
• Have team members grab some post-it notes, index cards, store receipts… literally any piece of paper and write a note of encouragement to a stranger who may be struggling with negative thoughts. Be sure to add some extra love and good vibes to the note! VzMedia employees sign up to write a note here.
• Make environmentally-friendly handmade gifts for Mother's Day or other occasions. This event will teach you about reducing harmful chemicals and CO2 emissions, while being creative and making a beautiful gift for someone you love. Create your treasures together over BlueJeans. VzMedia employees sign up here to make gifts for mom.

No team? No problem! Here are some single player events.

• Have a Virtual Coffee Chat with a veteran. The Honor Foundation (THF) is a career transition program that helps translate elite military experience to the private sector and helps facilitate the next generation of corporate and community leaders. VzMedia employees sign up to have coffee here.
• Provide virtual tech help for Mandarin-speaking older adults. Come online to meet some awesome older folks, provide social support, and help them stay connected during this time of social distancing. VzMedia employees sign up to offer tech help here.
• Write to Seniors Living in Elderly Care in India. During this uncertain time letters of hope and light can uplift the spirit of those who need it most. VzMedia employees sign up here to support the elderly.

Whether you participate in any of these activities or you choose from the many events available on our volunteer portal, there are plenty of ways to give back. Plus, your participation helps us reach our Citizen Verizon goal of 2.5M hours by 2025. Now that is moving the world forward for all.

Share your stories:

If you’re participating in our featured activities or any of the other events available in the volunteer portal, we want to hear about it.

1. Take a photo of you and your family taking part in your chosen activity
2. Post on social media with the hashtag #VTeam so we can connect with your activities
3. Tag us @InsideVerizon on Twitter or Instagram
4. And most importantly - Be safe, make a positive impact and HAVE FUN!

We bring new ideas to our work, we work smarter and more efficiently, and when we can, we volunteer. We are Citizen Verizon.

​​V Team, go to VZWeb to join the conversation