Kim Williams has a heart for people giving back in their community. As the owner of Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh, she continually leverages her business for good - whether promoting local partners or supporting community causes such as Restore 22, American Cancer Society, the McCandless Athletic Association, Joey's PAW and Guardian Angel Medical Service Dogs. Most recently, they donated a van that was not being used to Living in Liberty.
Already active through service and volunteerism, Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh desired to amplify its impact, bring its team together through service, and continue to cultivate a reputation as a company that gives back. When they teamed up with Curio412, they wanted other people to feel the passion they have for their community. So we got to work aligning their brand and impact goals through recommending targeted community engagement initiatives. Our aim was to support their generous team in creating meaningful opportunities for service.
Working with Kim, we facilitated strategic planning sessions to define company values, assess community engagement capacity, and identify impact metrics. As part of the Neighborly Brand, Dryer Vent Wizard is part of a mission where “business is about people.” With this mission in mind, we explored the human impact of dryer vent services with regard to household, environment, and wellbeing. Dryer vent cleanings improve dryer efficiency and performance, reduce allergens, and lessen the risk of a house fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. Considering these tangible benefits of dryer vent services, we wanted to emphasize the importance of health, safety, and efficiency.
Through our sessions we discussed how to best put their purpose into action through keeping the following beliefs core to our work:
Neighborhoods should be made up of people supporting each other.
Everyone should have the opportunity to feel safe and comfortable in their own home
To align these core beliefs to the way in which Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh incorporates giving in their operations, we explored different strategies including empowering employee volunteerism, social impact programs, and purpose-driven communications.
Carolyn helped narrow down a segment of the community that we wanted to invest in, and also aligned well with the services that we offer. Her knowledge allowed us to outline a plan and make the connections needed to accomplish our goal. - Kim Williams
While we discussed a number of different strategies, we focused on creating a quarterly services program, the Good Neighbor Program. Developed based on their belief that everyone should feel safe and comfortable in their own home, the program provides a dryer vent cleaning free of charge to deserving households, individuals and families within the greater Pittsburgh area. Each service recognizes a neighbor who may be going through hardship or simply doesn't have the means to make their homes more comfortable on their own. Some examples of nominees include families facing hard times; veterans; senior citizens living in older homes; and people impacted by natural disasters. In determining eligible recipients, we decided to partner with North Hills Community Outreach (NHCO) and their In Service of Seniors Program. NHCO prides itself on being an organization of “People Helping People” since 1987. Both their mission and focus on the wellbeing and safety of individuals in our community made them a natural partner for the Good Neighbor Program.
To effectively manage impact, the Good Neighbor Program was designed to collect baseline data about the people served, ask questions about wellbeing benefits, and request feedback about service. Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh is planning purpose-driven communications around this new initiative. With a goal to elevate dignity and empower individuals served, these communications will respond to each unique situation with discretion. The Good Neighbor program gives Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh an opportunity to come together with community partners, give back and improve the lives of our neighbors.
Working with Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh, we had the pleasure of witnessing Kim and her team’s care for their customers and enthusiasm for service. When I think about what it means to be a good neighbor, I envision people who create spaces for belonging, take shared responsibility, and watch out for each other. Their dedication to operating their business as a good neighbor is so encouraging. We are excited to see the Good Neighbor Program and partnership with NHCO as well as the many ways in which Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh continues to invest in the wellbeing of their community.
To learn more about Dryer Vent Wizard of Greater Pittsburgh visit their website!
Curio412 is a consultancy for businesses who want to strategically engage their communities and measure their social impact. We work with companies to put their purpose into action by helping them plan, organize, and implement impact with a measurable outcome in mind. We believe in creating lasting impact. Which is why we share knowledge and tell stories to keep nonprofits, business, social enterprises, and charitable organizations informed about current trends, ideas, and impact.
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