Hello June! What a great start to the next half of the year. The sun is letting us feel its warmth longer, the days are longer, and the next few months are all about enjoying this beautiful reawakening of nature and ourselves. The previous half of the year has been spent in hibernation and recharge mode and we all should be ready to come out and shine just like the sun.
The month of May was filled with lots of “endings” and some of June will too… the end of school year, the end of diploma and certificate studies, the end high school, the end of college and some of us, in June, the end of our fiscal years. This means a lot of civic organizations, non-profits and employers are ready to start a new year. We have a chance at another “new year” start! Maybe there was not enough time to add volunteerism or time to add another program to your to-dos “last year” so what a fantastic opportunity we have mid-year. It is a wonderful time to start thinking of all the things that are out there to do to be more engaged and add to your toolkit.
Maybe there is an additional skill you want to learn, maybe it is just a hobby or interest of yours, or maybe you want to help people in our community or maybe you want to learn more about how our community operates. Whatever the reason is, learning something new and placing yourself in a new environment is key to your personal growth and development and key to the success and growth of our community.
Check out Central Carolina Community College’s website for classes that can be taken during the summer, they even have programs for children! Check out your local non-profits and see how you can help them out, you would be surprised at all the things that they do that are not outwardly seen. Talk to those who are part of civic organizations and attend one of their meetings, the longevity and continuity of these organizations that started helping and serving our community depend on memberships.
Do you know about volunteering in our Ambassador Program? They are an energetic group who take time to network within their business environment while nurturing and strengthening Chamber and community relationships. Ambassadors raise awareness of Chamber activities and benefits while growing professionally and personally by building business relationships within our community. Not a Chamber member? Reach out to me so we can discuss options to join.
If community leadership is more of your interest, Leadership Sanford is here for you. The ten-month program provides the knowledge necessary to create a deeper understanding of our community. Through several topics such as Local government, Etiquette, Leadership Styles, Economic Development and others, participants explore how to make sound judgments and explore solutions to challenges facing businesses and the community.
Both Chamber programs, Ambassador and Leadership Sanford, start accepting applications in June so check out our website and social media pages in the next few days for the announcements. Whatever you choose to add in this “new year” to enhance yourself, make it count!
Susan Gomez
Chamber of Commerce Director