Sacha Cutts (Dip CII)’s Post

We all want to make a positive impact in our communities, and National Good Neighbor Day is the perfect opportunity to start! 🏡 Here are some ideas to help you get involved: 1️⃣ Find a Cause That Inspires You: Choose issues that resonate with you and motivate you to take action. 2️⃣ Offer Your Unique Skills: Whether it's tutoring, gardening, or organizing, use your talents to help others. 3️⃣ Try Something New: Step out of your comfort zone and explore new ways to contribute to your community. 4️⃣ Balance Volunteering and Personal Time: It's important to give back without burning out, so make sure to also prioritize time for yourself and your loved ones. 5️⃣ Bring Friends Along: Volunteering is even more rewarding when you share the experience with friends and neighbors. 6️⃣ Research Your Impact: Look into how your efforts can make a meaningful difference and choose activities that align with your goals. At Team Zach Plackemeier, we believe in the power of community and the importance of being good neighbors. Let's work together to create positive change and build a stronger, more connected neighborhood. How are you planning to make a difference today? 📍1060 Country Club Rd., Suite 100 St. Charles, MO 63303 ☎️ (314) 921-7900 📍 3026 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376 ☎️ (636) 875-7346 #nationalgoodneighborday #goodneighbor #statefarm #saintpetersinsurance #saintcharlesinsurance #missouriinsurance #youragentzachplackemeier #zachplackemeierinsurance

It’s day 4 of ASB Awareness week and today’s theme is Community Hero’s day. A great example of working with your community is to help them get involved in developing and improving the area in which they live. We’ve seen great success in creating and developing community gardens in locations affected by waste crime. Working together with the local community to clear up rubbish deposited in these areas and then transforming them into something pleasant to look at reduces the risk of additional waste being deposited. Communities can then work with the organisation to maintain these and the surrounding areas. A great idea is to provide communities with accessible areas where they can find tools, such as low level gardening tools and other equipment to help them maintain their local community. Training can also be undertaken to help individuals learn and develop new skills. Let’s also look to recognise those within our communities who are volunteering their time to make their area a better place. If you don't already have them what about some community awards where individuals can be recognised for their contributions? Need some ideas as to how you can work with your communities and form woorking partnerships with them? Why not get in touch to see how we can help 😊 Book a free 'Meet with Us' or 'Investigation Advice Session' here: https://lnkd.in/evcr5rws #ASB #WasteCrime #Community #NotAllHerosWearCapes

We were not sure if we could actually get the weight of the skip contents for our World Oceans Day cleanup at Xemxija, so we estimated around a ton for the total. But we did in fact get the official weight from Veladrians Cleaning Services, and when all the official numbers we added up, we were amazed to see that we had actually removed a total of 2.25 tons of rubbish from Xemxija Bay. That is incredible! Once again, well done to everyone. This is huge, but it also highlights the enormity of the problem we face. #worldoceansday #sustainability #volunteering #givingbacktothecommunity #igamingnews #notoplasticmalta #plasticpollution #cleantheoceans #igamingindustry #csrinitiatives

Synergy volunteers helped support seagrass conservation with OzFish Unlimited in Cockburn Sound by collecting and sorting seagrass fruit. Synergy once again partnered with OzFish Unlimited, a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring Australia’s marine habitats. The initiative was part of Synergy’s commitment to giving back to the community and promoting environmental sustainability. #conservation #seagrassrestoration #restoration #volunteering

This is an analogy about #volunteerengagement: I have a friend who is a farmer. We visit them twice a year, once in late-June/early-July and then again at the end of the Summer (leaving tomorrow) my wife and his wife are childhood best friends and have stayed close despite a 7 hour drive. Every time I go when we chat - I am learning more about how to care for soil. Not how to care for plants. My friend starting sharing that they decided to invest in their soil a few years back, he shared it would be an investment and expensive but this year he is sharing my fields soak up a lot more water, they don’t get damaged in heavy rain or high wind. His fields are now significantly out producing neighbours fields. I truly believe we, as a society, have missed the mark on supporting volunteerism. Be it with the skimpy investments from govt, society finding is hard to make donations to, or having difficulty building healthy volunteering communities at some organizations. Gov’ts and others are quick to dole out awards and congratulations and wow look at the number of people and hours (I see this as throwing fertilizer on what’s happening). But how is the environment? How’s the soil? Are we planning our crop cycles and giving proper nutrients to ensure healthy growth, are we preparing our fields for biodiversity (be it of ages, races, cultures, languages, experiences, abilities, skills and values). We can look to COVID or even to high inflation and see these have been/are trying times for our volunteer communities- maybe some are giving less time because of having to take another job, maybe worry and fear of exposure is still an issue. When thinking about volunteers becoming part of and belonging in our communities, I think what level of healthly environment can we provide them to help them thrive in the good they eagerly want to provide. #1 is someone to welcome them, greet them orientate them, and introduce them. (Good planting) #2 is someone to know them, train them in a way they will succeed, check in on how they are finding their way and experience and listen to them. (Good growing conditions) #3 someone to advocate for them, share their story and reflect back their value and offer growth in the community. (Good harvest) & #4 someone to ensure that the environment continues to be good, that the time those who give, give continues to be valued, invested in and enriched. (Good soil care) The Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement (volunteer.ca/ccvi) from Volunteer Canada in partnership with VMPC-Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada has 10 standards where 5 of them speak more to “soil care” than “plant care” and it is a great place for your organization or gov’t to look to see what’s needed to invest in volunteerism in your community. We at the Ottawa Food Bank had the opportunity to audit our community over this past year utilizing the Code and we are excited to share more about that experience in the weeks and months ahead.

🌟 Grow Together, Give Back Together 🌟 What if your team’s next outing wasn’t just about bonding, but about making a real difference? At Green Thumb Farm, corporate volunteering is more than just a day away from the office: It’s about hands-on learning—discover sustainable farming practices while helping to grow food for the community. It’s about teamwork with purpose—strengthen bonds as you work together to build a more sustainable future. It’s about leaving a legacy—your efforts directly contribute to creating a resilient local food system. Every action, every seed planted, every connection made—it all adds up to something bigger than ourselves. 🌿 Let’s make tomorrow the start of a new chapter for your team. Let’s grow together! 🌿 Green Thumb Farm is only 35 mins from the CBD of Brisbane - book your team for 2025 >>> admin@greenthumbfarm.org.au #CorporateVolunteering #GreenThumbFarm #TeamBuildingWithPurpose #SustainabilityInAction #CommunityImpact

We were not sure if we could actually get the weight of the skip contents for our World Oceans Day cleanup at Xemxija, so we estimated around a ton for the total. But we did in fact get the official weight from Veladrians Cleaning Services, and when all the official numbers we added up, we were amazed to see that we had actually removed a total of 2.25 tons of rubbish from Xemxija Bay. That is incredible! Once again, well done to everyone. This is huge, but it also highlights the enormity of the problem we face. #worldoceansday #sustainability #volunteering #givingbacktothecommunity #igamingnews #notoplasticmalta #plasticpollution #cleantheoceans #igamingindustry #csrinitiatives

What’s the best way to make changes? A powerful way is to make small scale agile changes to adapt to your environment. However, this is not enough. A bottom up Agile approach to change is seen as a powerful approach recommended by experts to make change at a human level. Making decisions where the best information is. However, this can result in fragmented, disconnected islands of change that have little effect at a higher level. 🏝 This was the problem identified in Sussex. Where lots of work by farmers and landowners and charities to improve the local wildlife habitats of animals, had not prevented a catastrophic loss in biodiversity. ☠ The lesson is that if we make changes in the world that we see, no matter how well thought out and intentioned if it is, if not connected to anything else, then we are going to have limited impact on the overall environment in which we work. The same is true in a hospital i worked in that trained thousands of staff across the hospital in quality improvement. But it was all completely disconnected and reducing the waiting time in one area simply increased demand elsewhere. The overall impact was close to zero. 0️⃣ Fortunately, for wildlife in Sussex, a farmer called James Baird, saw beyond his own farm and established the Weald to Waves project. Which aims to create 100 mile nature recovery corridor across Sussex. 🏞 The goal of the project is to engage and unite all owners of the land in the corridor from businesses, communities, schools and councils gardeners to churches to coordinate their efforts to create a continuous coherent wildlife habitat. So that wildlife can live and thrive more naturally with less disruption. Change is most powerful when we can connect the changes we see with a wider coherent strategy to create change that flows. When you next make a change in your area. Think: ⛓ How can you connect that to other changes? 🖼 What’s the big picture? 👀 What are others doing that conflict and support what we are doing?  🤲 How can we better work with them? If you would like to work with me to create change that flows visit my website, follow and connect with me and sign up to my newsletter. Thankyou Toni Finnimore for highlighting the fabulous work of Weald to Waves at one of her brilliant Charity Hangouts. #socialimpact #changemanagement #transformation #decisionmaking #changemaker

Did you know Friends of the Urban Forest provides tree care as well as tree planting? These “before” and “after“ photos are from a Community Tree Care event in the Excelsior last week. The tree in the photo is an Evergreen Pear (Pyrus kawakamii) that was planted in 2019. It had a lot of thick low branches that were growing into the sidewalk and street, so our Tree Care Coordinator, Max Kerr, and four volunteers raised its canopy and made some reduction cuts on branches that were a clearance issue. They also removed its hardware (its trunk was thicker than the stakes and the arbor ties were starting to damage the bark). The volunteer in the “after” photo is Susan Green, one of our wonderful regular volunteers! A big thanks to all of the volunteers who came out to our Community Tree Care event in the Excelsior! If you’d like to volunteer planting trees, taking care of trees, or planting sidewalk gardens, check out the link in the comments for more info and to sign up. *If you’re particularly interested in tree care, there’s a Community Tree Care event this Friday, July 26th in the Bayview. Image Description Two photographs are side by side. The left photo is a “before” photo of an Evergreen Pear tree with a lot of hanging branches. The right photo is an “after” photo of the tree once the branches were trimmed. A volunteer holds shears and looks up into the tree’s branches. #climatechange #nonprofit #climateaction #green #volunteer #greytogreen #arboriculture

🏡 Imagine a world where farming families thrive together, not just in work but in life! Through the Funding of Family Farm Team (FFT) trainings, couples are learning to set goals, plan collectively, prepare and consume nutritious meals, communicate effectively, and make sound financial decisions. 💡 With more funding or sponsorships, we can extend these invaluable training opportunities to even more farming couples, fostering sustainable agriculture and robust community development. The ripple effect is astonishing, as knowledge and skills gained are passed down to future generations, ensuring a strong and resilient farming community. Join us in supporting this vital initiative. Your contribution to the Funding of Family Farm Team (FFT) trainings can make a world of difference. Let's cultivate a brighter, more sustainable future, one farm at a time! 🌍 #FamilyFarmTeam #CommunityDevelopment #SustainableAgriculture