Partnership [pahrt-ner-ship]: noun; a partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.
The C2 Group has a long history of volunteering and giving back to the local community. Our team has done everything from cutting down trees, to landscaping, mapping bike racks, sorting donations, packaging meals, and lots (and lots) of painting. We’ve worked with great organizations such as Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, and Senior Meals on Wheels, to name a few.
We believe that part of creating rewarding work is also being involved in our community and giving back to organizations who do amazing things here in Grand Rapids. We believe this is not only beneficial for that organization but also for our employees.
Last year, C2 reevaluated the way it looks at its volunteer efforts. Instead of working with multiple organizations on a quarterly basis within a given year, moving to year-long service partnerships provides additional opportunities to contribute. This includes the addition of pro bono digital consulting on top of hands-on volunteering.
During our first year, we worked with Guiding Light Ministries. Guiding Light offers addiction rehabilitation as well as housing and work placement programs for the homeless and suffering. C2 completed a spring cleanup at Guiding Light's transitional housing complex, holiday decorating at its main campus, painting, and a homepage usability assessment for the Guiding Light website. The audit helped to identify areas of the site that were confusing or not up to current web standards. C2 met with Guiding Light's web developer, who was then able to apply our recommended web optimizations.
This year, C2 is excited to be partnering with IKUS Life Enrichment Services. IKUS provides services and programs to help individuals of all ages with a wide range of disabilities. These programs build new skills, provide independence, and enable new friendships within a safe environment.
C2's first opportunity to volunteer with IKUS in May involved a "beautification” of IKUS' property at Indian Trails Camp prior to the start of its summer camp programs. C2 broke into several groups to paint fencing, re-stain wooden structures throughout the property, and landscape. Overall, C2 dedicated 64 hours collectively to help beautify the campus.
This week, C2 volunteered with IKUS and Zot Artz to create an accessible art day for campers and skill builders. Different art stations allowed participants to create their own personal, as well as communal, works of art. Using different techniques, tools, and accessories allowed all campers, regardless of age or ability, to participate. As a staff, it was a rewarding experience to see firsthand the joy and excitement on the faces of all the campers and to be "hands on" with work central to IKUS' mission.
We are excited to see what the rest of the year has in store with IKUS!
