By Deidre Crawley,
Assistant Director, Civic Service Institute
With Make a Difference Day just around the corner, a children’s TV show, The Wonder Pets, comes to mind and reminds me of the power of working together. The Saturday morning program shows a turtle, a chick and a guinea pig working together to rescue their animal friends.
“We’re not too big and we’re not too tough but when we work together we’ve got the right stuff! What’s gonna work? Teamwork! What’s gonna work? Teamwork!”
The Wonder Pets reference exemplifies the strength that each individual brings to a team, something we see regularly at NAU, when individuals make a difference through service and volunteerism.
The Civic Service Institute at NAU, where I have the good fortune to serve, assists with this NAU priority. We value and support the power that students, faculty, staff and our Flagstaff community provide through service and volunteerism.
Volunteering and service can begin in small but significant acts: be thankful, let others know why you are thankful, pick up that piece of trash on the sidewalk, smile, say hello, ask how you can help and donate whatever time you can spare to worthy causes.
If each individual gave back a little, the collective impact would be extraordinary for NAU.
Working together is hard, but it can begin with small action steps.
Through service and volunteerism, let’s build on the sense of wonder that we have enjoyed working and playing together at NAU. Let us begin today.
Editor’s Note: This year’s Make a Difference Day, a nationwide initiative, is October 24.