Spiritual or Social Wellness is one of the categories of a comprehensive wellness program and one that many worksites are afraid to embrace due to its name.    Spiritual or social wellness helps employees find meaning and purpose in their lives or facilitating ways for them to connect with the human existence by contributing to one's environment or community by either donating time, material items or money.  In many of the sites I work with, we work together to find causes in the community that employees believe in and want to be a part of.

Local organizations, the environment, animals, children, seniors, the disadvantaged are some choices.  They, and  the employees helping out all benefit from the partnerships.  Many organizations participate in annual giving campaigns through the United Way or Maine Share through payroll deductions.  Simple activities can have a huge impact. One example is to collect healthy, non-perishable food for food pantries or soup kitchens.  This can be accomplished by setting up a large basket in the lobby of your worksite or call Aubrey Michaud of the United Way of Kennebec Valley at 626-3400 to participate in their shelving unit food drive project.  Another is to display the Heat Helpers collection cans at your worksite, to get yours today, call the United Way at 626-3400.

Recently a local business gave back to its community by sponsoring a Day of Caring.  The morning of a ribbon cutting ceremony the employees cleaned the sidewalks and the park of garbage to ensure a picture perfect grand opening of the riverfront park. 

Area organizations can partner with Cynergy and its plans to build outdoor volleyball courts at the Buker Center, Harlow Gallery to continue to offer cultural and educational events to the community, the local animal shelter, the library in Hallowell and its capital campaign, Augusta Food Pantry, Bread of Life Ministries or Medical Care Development and its campaigns to improve health around the world.

Fun, active ways to build spiritual or social wellness include pulling together a team of employees and family members to participate in the Trek Across Maine, The Dempsey Challenge, or The Memory Walk.  Another option is become a Matter of Balance or Living Well Facilitator, to learn more contact Vicki Foster at Spectrum Generation at 207-623-0764  ext. 126. Employees can walk the talk about living healthier lives while helping others in their community.   There are always a number of volunteer opportunities in the community as well from serving food to driving people to appointments or errands to building houses and playgrounds.

These lists are not meant to be complete, but to help generate ideas.  One of my favorites comes from Sprague's Nursery in Bangor, this fall they sponsored an evening in their beautiful gardens of great food and music to support local artists and raise money for their local animal shelter.  At a former employer we paid one dollar a week to dress down on Fridays, the proceeds went to a scholarship fund, each spring three scholarships were awarded to local graduating seniors pursuing a related career. 

Coat/Clothing/Household items/Food Drives        Fundraising/Awareness Events   

Volunteer       Random Acts of Kindness        Capital or Annual Campaigns         Support 

 Build Community       Invest         Connect        Get Involved       Make a Difference     

                                                          It Matters