Make Volunteering Part of Your Mission Statement

Author: Liz Frome

I grew up in a home where volunteering wasn’t something you scheduled, it was simply how we lived. My parents taught us that making a difference didn’t always mean giving money. We were a middle-class family, and often, giving meant showing up. It meant time, effort, and being there for others. (My mom and I would walk the park and pick up trash and look for dogs that were dumped. I loved this time with my mom as we spent quality time together.)  They wanted us to appreciate what we had, and understand that even with limited time or resources, we could still make an impact. That lesson stayed with me. When I left for college, I knew volunteering would always be part of my life.

Throughout my life, volunteering has taken many forms. Growing up, I tutored students, picked up trash in community parks, helped older neighbors with yard work and snow shoveling, and volunteered as a softball umpire. We lived across from a park where people would abandon animals, and my family would rescue them and find new homes—a big commitment that continues in my life today. In college, I tutored students, participated in community clean-up days, worked with middle school kids, and volunteered at a hospital burn center. Later, while living in Chicago, I served meals to the elderly on Thanksgiving, fed the homeless on Christmas Day, tutored children in housing projects, and helped kids learn how to play softball. At every stage of life, my capacity looked different—but I always had something to give.

That’s exactly why I feel strongly that volunteering belongs in a company’s mission statement.

When a company commits to service at the mission level, it sends a powerful message: we care about more than profit. It humanizes the organization and reminds employees, clients, and partners that business exists within a community. Volunteering builds empathy, strengthens teams, and creates purpose beyond day-to-day work. It reinforces values like gratitude, responsibility, and connection—values that can’t be taught in a handbook but are learned through action.

Volunteering also provides meaningful benefits to mental and physical well-being. It helps reduce stress, anger, and anxiety while fostering connection and purpose. The social contact that comes from helping others and working alongside your community can have a lasting positive impact on overall psychological health. Beyond personal benefits, volunteering strengthens communities by bringing people together, building trust, and allowing organizations to stretch limited resources so they can serve more people.

Volunteers gain professional experience, develop new skills, and grow through empathy, leadership, and teamwork. Most importantly, volunteering reminds us that every action counts—every hour given, every item donated, and every effort made contributes to real change.

Making volunteering part of a mission statement isn’t about perfection; it’s about intention. It’s about recognizing that even a day or two a year can create meaningful impact. (We have a variety of people in Lab Rescue, and some help every day and some help 1-2 times per year. I love it when the kids come out and help with the dogs as this may carry on with them as an adult.) When companies put service in the forefront, they don’t just give back—they build cultures people are proud to be part of. And that is what lasting success looks like to me. (I love to step back and see the impact our small company can make.)

I challenge you to talk to your company about volunteering in your community and make an impact!

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”— Muhammad Ali