Community Service at HeinfeldMeech

by Tracy Posuniak, Staff Associate II

Posted on May 31, 2018

Why is community service important?  Volunteers have a positive impact on nonprofit organizations, as well as the individuals served by those organizations, but workplaces that support community service also make a difference in the lives of their own employees. As a new staff associate joining a firm with a culture centered on its employees, I was immediately in awe. Beyond the focus for each individual’s professional development and success within the firm, there was an emphasis on who each of us were outside of the profession and what each of us we valued outside of the office.

Community Service Day is one way HeinfeldMeech allows us share those values with others. On this day each office selects an organization in which to dedicate a full day’s time to give back. Many times these are organizations that have had personal impact on individuals within the firm. 

The following are just a few of the community service events we have participated in during the last year. These events highlight the importance of giving back to the local communities that HeinfeldMeech is dedicated to serving.

Ben’s Bells – A community project with a mission to inspire, educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening themselves, their relationships, and their communities. The Tucson office spent a day creating, painting, and assembling the ceramic ornaments sold in the Shop KIND store.

Felicia’s Farm – A local farm providing eggs and fresh produce to the homeless and hungry in Tucson. Felicia’s Farm donates one-hundred percent of the eggs and vegetables produced on the farm to a local soup kitchen. Tucson audit staff as well as UA accounting students assisted in the day to day operations of the farm by clearing bedding, turning compost, cleaning chicken pens, and moving rocks. This also served as a recruiting event in which students were able to see another side of the firm.

Habitat for Humanity – A nonprofit housing organization that partners with people in the community to help them build or improve the place they call home. The Flagstaff office participated In Habitat’s Home Maintenance Program last August. This program places a special emphasis on helping elderly and disabled homeowners with maintenance needs. The entire office spent the day installing fascia, painting the exterior, and completing minor repairs on the home of an elderly member of the community in need of assistance.

Lost Our Home Pet Shelter – An organization in the Valley focused on both pets and people in crisis, they are dedicated to rescuing pets abandoned or at risk of homelessness by providing pet care when people find themselves in challenging life situations. The Phoenix office spent a day last July walking dogs and helping clean and maintain the shelter.

Events such as these provided the opportunity to come together outside of the office using our professional skills in a different capacity to benefit other organizations that we feel exemplify the firm’s values. While some events allow us the opportunity to converse and relax, others expose us to environments and challenges that take us away from our comfort zone and help each of us grow on an individual level. Whether these events allow us to give back on a personal level, explore our creative side, practice patience, skillfulness, and kindness, or all of the above there is no doubt they aid in enhancing the soft or interpersonal skills needed to complement the hard skills we use in our daily profession.