Feel Good Friday - Giving Back 💝

[Amanda Barber]

It's Friday in Sydney, so I'm excited to wish everyone a Happy Feel Good Friday!

This week happens to be National Volunteer Week here in the United States. I thought it would be a great way to highlight (and hype up!) how our community members give back. 

I also wanted to highlight the work that the Atlassian Foundation does worldwide - as they say, "Creating a better world is impossible alone." Check out their focus areas here: https://www.atlassianfoundation.org/how-we-work/education

I love the Atlassian blog about the science behind giving back and how volunteering can make us happier at work, too!

Some ideas to share in the discussion below:

• Upcoming social impact Atlassian Community Events in your area
• Organizations you like to give back to (financially or with your time)
• How does volunteering benefit you?

[Amanda Barber]

I volunteered this week for my daughter's theater program -- painting and assembling set pieces! I also worked on setting up a fundraiser for The Longest Day event in June for my local Alzheimer's Association, and spent some time in the Atlassian Community/Forums helping others! 🫶

I've also donated my hair and blood in the past few months! 💝

[John Funk]

I view giving back to the Atlassian Community here by answering questions and helping others by volunteering time to do that. Many many hours have been expended by so many people!!

[Amanda Barber]

Absolutely - the time you've given to the community is invaluable, @John Funk 🎉

[Jimmy Seddon]

@Amanda Barber great topic!

I think a number of people know that I give both my time and money into Extra Life to support my local Children's Hospital.

While I didn't do anything this past week I'm constantly doing things either as a part of Extra Life or directly for the Children's Health Foundation.

In mid-March I was running a board games table at the hospital while the local radio stations were doing a 12 hour fundraiser interviewing patients and their families.

In the fall we will he running a 24 hour video game event, with various activities and prizes.

Now, how do I benefit?

1) I get to feel good at the end of the day knowing that every dollar I help raise or every person I can get involved means another dollar going towards providing care to children in life threatening situations.

2) I get to meet some really amazing humans.  Those that are local to me or the online connections I have made in the larger Extra Life Community with others raising awareness and funds for their own local hospitals.  We're all working toward the same goal.

I could probably list a dozen more but I think the above two are the most impactful.

[Amanda Barber]

So awesome, @Jimmy Seddon - while I knew you fundraised for them, I did not know all those extras. Thank you for all you do!!

[Bogna Krystian_Deviniti_]

@Amanda Barber  What a great subject! I'm a volunteer at an intergenerational café. I teach English to seniors and we also play board games together. Volunteering gives me a lot of satisfaction and has allowed me to learn a lot about myself as well as about the history of the city I live in, because most of the seniors are people who have lived here since birth.

[Amanda Barber]

Wow, what a wonderful way to give back. That sounds so fun for both the volunteer and participants. 

[Stephen_Lugton]

Similarly to @John Funk (and all the other Community Leaders Champions) I try and give back to the community here.

Outside of that my volunteering is more on the fundraising side with things like:

March for Men for Prostate Cancer UK (https://marchformen.prostatecanceruk.org/), if you're in/near London the next one is

• Date: Saturday 14 June 2025 
• Location: Battersea Park, London 
• Walk distances: 2.5km, 5km or 10km (you choose!) 
• Walk start time: 11:30am 
• Registration fee: £10 per adult

One Million Step Challenge for Diabetes UK (https://step.diabetes.org.uk/), the next one is

• Date: Tuesday 1 July 2025 to Tuesday 30 September 2025
• Location: Anywhere you can walk 
• Walk distances: However far one million steps takes you
• there's a 500,000 step challenge if 1.000.000 steps is too much

I also do other events throughout the year

[Amanda Barber]

Thank you for sharing these upcoming events, @Stephen_Lugton! I'm checking out that One Million Steps Challenge for sure! 

Thanks for all you do to raise awareness and funds for these important causes!

[Barbara Szczesniak]

Wonderful topic, which made me think that I don't do as much as I used to. I live with my parents, who are 81 and 83, so I spend a lot of time supporting them. I also support the public radio station where I live, and I still support the one where I used to live 🙂.

I also try to do my part here in the community. I think I'm still learning as much as I'm helping, but hopefully I occasionally make someone else's day easier.

[Amanda Barber]

Being a caretaker is no small feat! You give back in many wonderful ways, @Barbara Szczesniak! 

[Matt Doar _Adaptavist_]

Some great ideas here for volunteering, thanks! I volunteer in a few different area at my local library, including IT help for seniors, adult literacy and reading to children. Sometimes it's a challenge, but generally very satisfying. In fact, I even made it onto 
https://www.sjpl.org/blogs/post/meet-our-2025-volunteers-of-the-year :)

[Amanda Barber]

This is so cool, @Matt Doar _Adaptavist_! I'd love to get involved in something like this in the future.