@TwitterAU kicks off #TwitterforGood with @PCYCCityofSyd

Today is #TwitterforGood, Twitter’s company-wide day of service where Tweeps around the world get together to make an impact in their local community.

Today was even more meaningful as it coincided with National Volunteer Week, a national celebration of volunteers across Australia.

The day is a chance to take the flock out of the office to meet and work with those who need it most. Kicking off our global efforts, the @TwitterAU team partnered with @PCYCCityofSyd to bring some much needed TLC to their community garden.

@PCYCNSW is one of Australia’s leading youth-focused organisations, offering a range of fitness, leisure, and drop-in opportunities for young people and adults alike. The organisation plays a pivotal role in the social movement to change the perception of the police by young people, encouraging them to be viewed in a more positive light, further motivated by the aim to counter the impact of juvenile offending.

As the original chapter of the nationwide organisation, @PCYCCityofSyd is a collaborative effort between the NSW Police Force and community to create an environment where young people feel empowered to reach their potential. Fundamental to this is the creation of a safe, encouraging space with welcoming facilities open to members, and the @TwitterAU crew was more than happy to help support the cause.

A BBQ kicked off what was to become a great (and very productive) day. Once the original garden was ripped out, we worked to plant a veggie patch, flowers, greenery and laid the foundations for a colourful and functional community garden. We also built and installed a new composter, a task that proved to be something of a brain-buster for those charged with its construction.

As Tweeps, we are continuously reminded of our company’s core values, and encouraged to enact upon them in all aspects of our work. Today’s #TwitterforGood partnership, and all others in the program, deliver the opportunity for us to take these values - at the crux of which is progress, openness, and impact – and live them in the community around us.

Lady Bird Johnson once said, “where flowers bloom, so does hope,” and while it might be a bit presumptuous to say our single day of working with @PCYCCityofSyd provided hope to the members, be it hope for the future or hope for change, we can very comfortably say we planted the seeds for it.

To check out what other Twitter offices are up to, search #TwitterforGood and the Twitter for Good blog.