Friday, November 30, 2007

Power Drive '07

I was on my way back from lunch today when I was struck with inspiration and the need to write it down. I am thrilled (there is no other word for this inner golden light) by the feelings of respectful love and true hope. True hope being the deeply held belief that people are/want to be good.

I work at a diesel service shop and distributorship. In September, a coworker and I approached the CFO with the idea of running a food drive over the holidays. He was encouraging, but warned us that giving campaigns had never been successful at our company in the past. He committed to matching whatever we collected (5 pounds = $1) and wished us luck.

With the help of five women with true hope and vision, I am coordinating our company's first Second Harvest food drive. We christened it "Power Drive '07", tuning it to the nature of our industry. Designed as a 6-week drive, we set the goal at 1,000 pounds of food to ensure success. Nothing's more sure to deflate the holiday spirit than an unreachable goal, we reasoned. We create a huge thermometer to show progress in the lunch room. Posters, paycheck flyers, table tents, barrel signs, and inspirational posters were created in Word, and printed at the local OfficeMax.

On November 2nd, the laminated table tents were put on lunchroom tables, the posters hung on doors and walls and in bathroom stalls, the thermometer propped up on an easel in the lunch room, and paycheck flyers sent. We held our breath. How would our fellow 120 employees receive this?

The goal was shattered by the end of week two.

Four weeks into it, we are at 1,690 pounds and climbing. I'm humbled and awestruck at how people can come together when working toward a common goal. It seems to me that the key is to respect the individuality of each person while encouraging each to strive for a higher community self. Somehow, we have accomplished that.

Our people have risen, and it is beautiful.

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