"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart."
- Elizabeth Andrew

On a rainy March day, 5 Mercury employees based in Andover trekked into Boston to participate in our first Boston City Year volunteer event. Cutting a wide swath across functions (HR, Engineering, Marketing, and IT) we represented Mercury with a good cross section of the company.

City Year, a part of the Americorps national service network, strives to place college graduates, who commit to one year of service, in schools throughout the country. Their mission is to support at risk children based on 3 key indicators: attendance, poor behavior, and failure in math and English. Through "near-peer" relationships, City Year members work to provide academic and social-emotional support.

Our role was to support the City Year members any way we could so we made pencil and pen holders that would be part of an MCAS kit students would receive. With duct tape in every color imaginable, the competition was on.

After our shift was over, it was time for lunch and to talk about future volunteer endeavors. I think we all had almost as much fun talking about our different day jobs as we did volunteering. Many thanks to the Andover Engagement Team for their support and to Emma Woodthorpe, CHRO, for her advice and guidance.

If you have a volunteer idea, make sure to contact your Site Engagement team and get their support. Start small and just get out their and do something. Remember, big things often have small beginnings!