Member: IAM Technology & Communications Committee

Wow! How much do we love the theme of this issue of the Portal?! When we heard it was about something as critical as volunteering, we knew we had to make sure to “volunteer” with an article! 

Here at EDC, we’ve found that volunteering isn’t just about supporting a great cause, though that alone would be enough—it also has the power to help you learn and grow, both personally and professionally. Volunteering is a core part of our culture, and over the past 22+ years, our team has been proud to say “yes!” to opportunities to serve in community and industry initiatives, including many opportunities to support the International Association of Movers (IAM) and its members.

Through volunteering, you can have exposure to people and initiatives that you wouldn’t otherwise be part of, and you have the opportunity to practice skills you might not otherwise use every day, depending on your role. Project management, executive communications, events planning, outcome response, mentoring, program analysis, organizational design, community outreach, and more are just some of the skills that might be involved in volunteer service. Volunteering also exposes you to situations outside of your normal everyday sphere of influence, which is also enriching and stretching. Being a collaborator also equips you with new ways of looking at challenges and opportunities, and it’s a great way to pay it forward for the encouragement and perhaps even mentoring received early on in our careers.

It’s been our pleasure to say "yes!" to IAM many times over the years as they present us with innovative initiatives, needs, and worthy causes to support, and we've benefited from it just as much as we hope IAM and the industry have. Whether it’s within skillsets, such as serving on the Technology & Communications Committee, the Membership Restructuring Working Group, the Nominating Committee, IAM-YP, and giving quick expertise on questions that are sent our way, or contributing to other great causes such as the Alan F. Wohlstetter Scholarship Fund and Move for Hunger—we’re pleased to volunteer service and leadership where needed alongside other volunteers within the industry.

We also say “yes!” to service opportunities in the broader industries that we serve, and on a personal level through supporting homeless shelters, local school initiatives, youth sports, and more.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue partnering with IAM and contributing to the success of its members around the world. It's a win-win all around—we get to help advance worthy causes, support the moving and storage industry and other organizations in our community, and we continue to develop ourselves and our fellow volunteers, making ourselves all the more able to continue achieving great things in the future. Our commitment to volunteerism and our dedication to IAM and the moving industry remain unwavering. Together, we’ll continue to build a legacy and make a positive impact in the industry we’re all passionate about.

If I can leave you with just one thought: say “yes!” Yes to volunteering; yes to supporting; yes to attending. You’ll not only be making a positive impact and leaving your mark in this industry, but also in the communities in which we all live and serve. I can personally say that there’s no better feeling, both in business and in our personal lives, than seeing how your work and your efforts positively impact people’s daily lives.