By: Cody King, Installation and Service Supervisor in Oregon/SW Washington
Army Veteran Cody King has been a West Portland Technician for just under three years. Each year, he’s participated in Comcast Cares Day, leading the last two as a project coordinator.
I’ve been fortunate to take part Comcast Cares Day for several years. The Cares Day projects I’m drawn to revolve around helping the veteran community. I’m an active board member in Comcast’s Employee Resource Group, VetNet, a community that allows me to network with others and pitch ideas back and forth. We always want to find something we do as a team to make the most of our time and effort.
This year, a handful of phenomenal techs, supervisors, and managers are helping out at the Salvation Army Family Center in Beaverton. The best thing about participating as one of the Project Coordinators is being in a position to really make a difference— and helping to make our community partner’s vision become reality. It’s a blessing to be in a position to help others and when you see faces light up, it makes all the hard work worth it.
The most challenging aspect of being a Project Coordinator, which many don’t realize, is trying to “do it all.” We want to make every dream come true, but we have to make sure we have enough manpower or else the project becomes too large to tackle. This is why it’s important to be strategic—Cares Day is about making a quality over quantity impact– although more than six million volunteer hours and ten thousand projects worldwide over 18 years isn’t too shabby.
A project manager’s impact is huge; we have to be diligent to make sure things run smoothly, ensure we stay on time, and confirm that lunch arrives with enough food to feed everyone. There’s so much behind the scenes of Cares Day. I’ve learned to always have a back-up plan, and then a back-up back-up plan.
Comcast Cares Day is a chance to do better and to be better. From cleaning up an elementary school so kids can have a safe environment to play, to sprucing up housing centers so veterans can feel a sense of pride. Every little thing can impact someone in a major way, sometimes in a way we can’t fully comprehend. So, bring your family and friends and take the time to truly enjoy giving back to the community this Comcast Cares Day.
You can find projects near you and sign up to make a difference here.
