If you were given a single day to make a meaningful impact for someone in your community what would you do? If you don't have an answer right away that's ok, most people wouldn't because they wouldn't know where to begin, this is especially true for young people leaving college and entering the workforce. Unlike in college where opportunities to volunteer are regularly solicited to students, as young adults often coming into a new and unfamiliar community they don't know where to begin. Nor do they have the established network or time required to take advantage of such opportunities. But those opportunities are out there and worth the investment of your time.

Not long after I started my firm did success follow, and understandably I was constantly busy with very little down time. I would still consider myself 'new' to the small community of Fredericksburg, having immigrated from Houston only a year ago, but I had a strong desire to become integrated within the community. In spite of this desire, time was precious and I didn't know where to begin that is until an Aggie friend of mine brought up a service project the students at A&M put on every year called "The Big Event." It was inspired by the idea of the difference a person can make in one day of service to their community. Volunteers would come together to take on different service jobs such as 'everyday' yard related tasks, making simple repairs, cleaning projects, etc. that could be completed in a single day. From this idea came to be what was known as "The Burg Event!"

​Twenty leaders within the community, including myself, came together to organize this event, where over 100 local residents volunteered and 25 service projects were accomplished! Projects ranging from 'everyday' yard related tasks to touching up the paint on an elderly resident's house. My team was responsible for building a custom handicap accessible outdoor table for a wheelchair bound vet who was unable to use the simple picnic table in his backyard or afford an alternative.

While a single day or a table may not seem like much, make no mistake each and every one of those 25 jobs made a lasting and real impact. Hence the expression, one drop raises the ocean. Be that drop. Put yourself out there. Whether you can commit to leading and organizing a service project within your community, or perhaps you can only offer a single day of service whatever it is be that impact and raise the ocean within your own community.