How we came to BEE
The Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation (CCPR) Culture Committee was formed in 2022 to engage staff and build/maintain a positive work environment.
The Culture Committee has representation from all five CCPR divisions within its members. These individuals volunteer their time and effort to help facilitate events, initiatives, and new ideas that benefit all staff – full-time, part-time, and seasonal.
Want to stay up-to-date on all things Culture Committee and CCPR? Join the Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation Team Facebook group!
Our Values (H.I.V.E.)
2022 Initiatives
We've been busy bees this year! Here's a look at some of the fun memories we've made in 2022.
-
Quarterly Volunteer Events
In mid-2022, we kicked off quarterly staff volunteer events! These paid events are an opportunity for full-time staff to get to know one another, give back to our community, and do some good – while on the clock! A huge shoutout to our Volunteer Coordinator Caitlin May for putting these events together.
Q3 – The Mustard Seed
Our first-ever employee volunteer opportunity took place at The Mustard Seed of Central Indiana. 15 employees assisted with sorting donations, assembling furniture, and cleaning the warehouse. The staff of The Mustard Seed were extremely grateful for the help. They also provided snacks and bottled water. Employees had plenty of positive feedback about the experience.
Q4 – Humane Society for Hamilton County
This quarter’s employee volunteer opportunity took place at the Humane Society for Hamilton County (HSHC). 8 employees assisted with various tasks, including deep-cleaning litter boxes, power washing sidewalks, picking up litter, and sorting litter donations. We were divided up into several smaller groups of 2-4. The staff of HSHC were extremely grateful for the help. They also had a meet and greet with an adoptable dog for our group at the end of the project.
-
Interdepartmental Meetings
While the concept was not new, we had a blast in our interdepartmental quarterly meetings in 2022! Each of the five divisions met with every other division within the calendar year to take some time to get to know one another through shared food, games, and – as always – a little friendly competition.
We painted pumpkins, had a chili cook off, held a cake decorating contest, and so much more. Thank you to everyone who participated and put together great events. What a great way to connect with other staff members who we otherwise might not get to know!
-
Just for Fun Events
What is Just for Fun? Just for Fun events are off-the-clock, off-site events for our staff. They are a time for us to get to know team members from other divisions and—like the name says—have fun!
This past year, we had two events. The first event took place at local winery Urban Vines and the second event involved some friendly competition playing mini golf at Birdies!
-
Giving Tree
During our first ever Giving Tree initiative, CCPR employees collected 222 items, worth approximately $1,400, for Coburn Place. These donations will help survivors of domestic violence as they transition into new, safe housing. Thank you so much to everyone that donated!
-
Staff Group Fitness Classes
In 2022, staff group fitness classes were introduced! Thank you to Shannon Stryzynski, CCPR Fitness & Wellness Supervisor for putting these together – AND a huge shoutout to our amazing instructors who led the classes.
- 15-15-15 class with Michelle Longley
- Yoga with Aaron Gerth
- Spooky Spin (cycle) with Sean Roberts
Meet Polly
In 2022, we introduced a new friend: Polly! Polly the bee is CCPR’s mascot. Her name was decided on by a company-wide vote where all staff could enter name ideas and vote for their favorites. Polly was the winning name!
You may ask, why the bee? The bee symbolizes community, brightness and personal power. Just like parks, bees contribute to complex, interconnected ecosystems that allow a diverse number of different species to co-exist. There is a huge parallel between how we work in the office and the way bees work.
