Before my first day at Bailey Gardiner, Jon Bailey emailed a handful of his colleagues asking them to help him plan a fundraising event for the San Diego Council on Literacy (SDCOL). I hesitated to respond yes right away (I didn’t want to seem like a brown-noser right off the bat). So I did some research on the organization and realized that this cause was particularly relevant to me- I have a two-year-old who loves to read. I decided to get involved as this would be a great way to give back to the community and make a good first impression with my Bailey Gardiner co-workers  (I’m not going to lie).

I remember attending the first committee meeting with a room full of creative and smart people I didn’t know and feeling so good about my decision to participate. After a short brainstorm, the group quickly decided on a wine/beer/food event to benefit SDCOL (Who doesn’t like wine, beer and food?!). The committee then talked about our vision and brainstormed more ideas about how the evening could look. The energy and passion were amazing and contagious. I was inspired to use my skills in PR to raise money for this cause and help plan the event. I’ve had a hand in contributing to the silent auction, managing the traditional public relations and social media efforts and will attend the event to do some on-site management.

Getting involved in this event reminded me that although us public relations pros have extremely busy schedules (early morning television in-studio appearances, late night client parties, weekend client obligations, boyfriends, family, children, etc.), using our strengths to benefit a community partner is worth the extra hours in the week. And, to top if off, I have an employer that values the time I take to become involved- and actually allows time during the day for my involvement. Getting involved in a cause you believe in not only benefits the organization, but it could also be leveraged as a networking opportunity for a new job or new business.

The event is right around the corner, on April 28. If you are interested in attending or just want to learn more, you can visit the SDCOL Facebook page and check out the details on our Eat.Drink.Read website.