On April 26, 2014, LIFTers from all over the world enjoyed a day of community service with the Comcast crew for Comcast Cares Day! Comcast mobilized tens of thousands of volunteers to participate in over 820 community service projects throughout the U.S. and we were glad to be a part of it. It’s a great example of LIFT’s core values of Service & Collaboration. Three regions participated in this event and then wrote a reflection about their experience.
Boston:
The Colonel Marr Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester is one of three clubhouses in the Dorchester community, together serving over 4,000 members through more than 200 programs. 15 LIFT-Boston volunteers joined Comcast and other volunteers for Comcast Cares Day to do some heavy LIFTing at the Colonel Marr Club, and we were honored to serve an organization that is so vital in Boston alongside such dedicated partners as Comcast and City Year. While the weather outside was gloomy, volunteers worked hard to bring the brightness indoors by giving the walls a fresh coat of paint and creating vibrant murals in the gymnasium and play spaces. We at LIFT understand the importance of a bright and inviting space, so we are excited for our mural to LIFT up the children at the Boys and Girls Club!
Philadelphia:
Comcast Cares Day was an incredible opportunity for LIFT Philadelphia’s West Office. Comcast chose various organizations to renovate and repair, and LIFT receiving that recognition was a unique honor; I was happy to participate. I work at the North Office, but I was excited to be involved in making the West Office space happier and more inviting for the community members of Philadelphia. We started at 8 a.m. with Sandy, who then briefed us about the day’s schedule before meeting with our teams. I worked with three fantastic people who all work at Comcast. LIFT focuses on using collaboration and teamwork to achieve goals; the manner of teaming up LIFT staff with Comcast staff felt very appropriate. We gave each room a fresh coat of white paint with an accent wall of orange to make the rooms pop. This simple change drastically improved the look of the office. Everyone’s spirit and enthusiasm throughout the day served as a reflection of the passion that goes into improving social service sites for the community of Philadelphia. We at LIFT want our members to feel comfortable and welcomed when they come into our offices, and our members will definitely notice the difference. Now LIFT Philadelphia’s West Office will reflect the energy that our advocates and members possess when they are working together.
DC:
On a sunny Saturday in April, LIFT brought together 10 staff members and advocates from its National and Local Offices in DC to volunteer at Comcast Cares Day. Serving alongside Comcast and NBCUniversal employees, City Year corps members, and other community leaders from local nonprofits, the LIFT crew spent the day beautifying the West Education Campus Elementary School. We painted the playground, landscaped the school entrance, planted flowers and built bookshelves for the classrooms. It was a true team effort and a great opportunity to get to know Comcast employees (many of whom already knew about LIFT!) and the local City Year leadership. It was an impressive undertaking by Comcast and City Year – with a few hundred volunteers in attendance and multiple projects going on simultaneously at the school. At the end of the day, we got to hear from DC officials Mayor Vincent Gray and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and Comcast leaders, Donna Rattley-Washington and Neil Smit – who announced that Comcast was providing the West Education Campus with a $25,000 grant! After completing their projects, everyone left Comcast Cares Day buoyed by hope and pride – knowing that their service would be felt by every student, teacher, and parent that walked through the West Education Campus on Monday.
Check out more photos here. We’re excited to be #LIFTing4Good with Comcast and look forward to next year!