The Importance of Giving Back to the Community

The holiday season is very nearly upon us, and for most of us that also means it’s gift-giving season in some capacity. While family, friends, and coworkers are usually at the tops of all our lists, it’s also important to give back in a wider sense, and as business owners there’s a particular responsibility to keep this in mind.

Those who are familiar with the 32-year-plus history of Stafford Printing know of our commitment to the community. Whether through monetary contributions or donating our services, we have a longstanding tradition of supporting our local community in any way we can.

The list of who we support is long, but here are a couple of examples.

• We received acknowledgement today from Legal Aid Works (@legalaidworks on FB) for being a long-time sponsor of their Jazz4Justice event. We feel it’s important for low-income area residents to have equal access to legal services, and the organization’s dedicated and experienced staff work hard to help clients fight for their rights in many different types of cases, such as housing, family law, consumer rights, unemployment benefits, and immigration.

• Another organization we proudly support is Loisann’s Hope House, a shelter whose mission is to take families from homelessness to permanent housing. I serve on the Board of Directors and am part of a team that coordinates the annual Concert of Hope, a fundraiser that brings world-renowned performers to the stage to benefit the shelter.

There are many other groups and agencies we work with; these are just two recent examples. The Stafford region is exceptional when it comes to support for our civic organizations, and as a small business owner it’s incumbent that we donate our time and talents to help our community.

If you haven’t already, take some time this week to plan out exactly how you’d like your business to give back this holiday season, as well as the rest of the year.  You can donate money, offer free services, or even arrange for you and your employees to volunteer your time at a local organization.  Whatever way you choose to contribute, you’ll be not only helping the community, but also enriching the culture at your own place of business.