Community Sharing for the Holidays

We learn from a young age that sharing is to “partake of, use, experience, occupy or enjoy things and experiences with others.” You can feel a strong sense of belonging when sharing in your community. And when businesses adopt these practices, their business will grow exponentially!

From farmer’s markets to local theater performances, supporting local activities show your interest in your local community. When companies get together as a community, take pride in others’ work and increase their camaraderie, they will discover the true meaning of the holiday spirit.

Did you know…

Every time you pick up a coffee at your local café, grab lunch at the mom-and-pop shop or buy a new bag from a local store, you’re making an impact in your community. In fact, for every dollar spent at a small business in the US, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community.

A holiday party involving community sharing with businesses in a neighborhood.

Community Sharing Events

Events help communities to get together and form a bond. By participating in local activities, businesses can give back to their neighborhoods and create awareness about community needs. These events are also great for meeting new people and finding new customers.

There are many reasons to sponsor a community event. You can improve your neighborhood, raise funds for a local cause or charity and celebrate the local culture. Best of all, you know that everyone will come together to attend. Create your event team from your employees and businesses around you.

Holiday community events are a great place to begin, as they garner even more attention. As with anything that has a holiday theme, sharing is always a central theme.

Identification and Community Sharing

Name badges, customized ribbons and many other products will help you during community events. In addition, they will let you reach out to your neighbors and businesses to let them know who you are and that you are there to help.

Here are three products with ways they will help your community.

ADHESIVE BADGES

Colored adhesive name badges to write names on for a community party.

Use adhesive badges for quick identification at your next community event. Each person writes their name, and the adhesive holds the tags to their clothing. Consider throwing a party for your community businesses where everyone comes together and shares products and services with their neighbor businesses. We should set this up for our neighborhood and share name tags!

BADGE HOLDERS

A vinyl badge holder with a printed insert with the name of a block captain for a community luncheon.

Community recognition can happen anywhere: school art shows or neighborhood events, so be prepared with quick identification. A low-cost option, badge holders, allow you to print inserts that slide into a plastic sleeve. You can select anything from a deluxe magnetic fastener to lanyards.

BLANK BADGE RIBBONS

Blank badge ribbon in deep gold with a handwritten note for a guest pass at a community sharing event.

Make identification fun with blank badge ribbons as pin-on name tags, or use them for your next block party. Create unique awards and passes with custom imprinted badge ribbons attached to contestants and given to guests.

Holding community events is perfect for promoting positive change in your neighborhood. And there is ample opportunity during your gathering to provide improvement to your community and network with your neighbors. Work on strengthening your community bonds and bringing your community closer together by celebrating your differences.

Products for Community Events:

Discover additional products on nametag.com

How Lanyards Won the Battle of the Books

Donations are one way that makes us more responsible in our community. And, building trust in our community is not only a requirement but also the best way to maintain that community. Even when the need is small, like lanyards for a reading competition at an elementary, giving is all about the people you are helping.

Coller Industries enjoys providing donations, like lanyards, to our community.

Understanding our community needs teaches that no matter the setting, there are things to keep a constant focus on. And, while investing in the community by donating our products is one of our best forms of marketing, what we care about is the people.

Grant Elementary’s Battle of the Books Competition

Katrina Shewell, Grant Elementary Librarian, explains the program, “Our program is a reading incentive program that helps kids jump into reading in a fun, team-oriented, competitive way. There were 10 groups of five to six kids. Each team had to read 30 books before the competition which they usually divide up among themselves, only needing to read five books a piece.”

Blank Flat Badge Lanyards

Lanyards are popular because of their ability to keep essential items like a name badge or pen close at hand. They are used in a broad range of activities from the workplace and schools to concerts and trade shows. Inexpensive badge lanyards come in a variety of materials, styles and colors. Each Flat Badge Lanyard has a crimped finish and comes with a bulldog clip attachment. And, they are made with a woven polyester material which is 1/2 inch in width and 18 inches long.

“We truly appreciate your donation for our Battle of the Books competition held on February 22,” said Shewell. “The kids do not have to pay to enter this reading incentive program, so we rely heavily on donations. I’ve attached pictures to show the kids wearing their lanyards, and you may even see their small buttons representing the books they read.”

Each child received a lanyard that they added buttons to every time they read a book.

“As each child read a book, they were given a button to put on their lanyard,” said Shewell. “It was a great incentive to read above the five books assigned. Most kids read over 10 books each and about 15 kids read 20-30 books!”

“It was a great incentive to see kids in other groups wearing their lanyards with lots of buttons on them, making them want to add more books and buttons to their lanyards, too. The competition is in its second year, but this was the first year adding lanyards, and the kids loved having something they could show their accomplishments on.”

Students at Grant Elementary wearing lanyards for the Battle of the Book competition. — Students at Grant Elementary wearing lanyards with buttons on them indicating which books they read for the “Battle of the Books” competition in February 2019.

Donations Help Raise Community Understanding

From lanyards to name tags, no matter what the donation is, the focus is always who it helps. And this time, at the request of a wonderful librarian, we were able to help out a school with their reading program. Our community and our surroundings are what makes us who we are. So, by giving back into this system, we are making it better for everyone around. Besides, reading is cool!

Community, Education and Our Future

Sometimes it isn’t about the name tags. Sometimes, it’s just about helping our community.

Every year, as part of our way of celebrating the holidays, Coller Industries looks at how we can give back to our community. In the past we have given to different organizations and foundations, such as the Alaska Whale Foundation, to aid in their efforts. But, every year we always give to the Granite Education Foundation. This tradition of giving has been going on for nearly ten years.

To date, we have given over $57,000 to this fantastic foundation.

Coller Industries received a thank you letter from the Granite Education Foundation. The letter is from Brent Severe, CEO of the Granite Education Foundation. It reads as follows:

“Thank you for investing in futures through your generous donation to the Granite Education Foundation for programs in Granite School District. Because of you, more students can pursue an education in an environment that cultivates excellence. Your generosity creates possibilities, and your kindness nurtures engaged learning which will enrich education opportunities for our youth.”

While it isn’t about the money, it is about helping. We value education here at Coller Industries. And we want to make sure that everyone gets the education they need; this includes family, friends and neighbors alike.

The letter also states, “The Granite Education Foundation has been established to supplement the excellent programs in Granite District’s schools, to help provide the highest classroom opportunities for each child, and for teacher excellence awards. Know that you are helping dreams come true.”

The Coller family and their employees take pride in knowing we have reached out to our surrounding community. We will continue to do so in the hopes that we are helping our friends and neighbors. And we are also aiding in the education and celebration of our children.

As Gary Coller, President of Coller Industries, says, “(Donations make) us more responsible in the community. And hopefully, our customers appreciate when they see that we give back.”

From product donations to monetary help, the time we spend investing in education, our children and our community means a great deal to us.