Case ― Everyone can always do something

Being privileged, you have to do something for those who aren’t. At Milou we are more than privileged, we are also in control of our own time during a rather big chunk of the week. So, using our experience, our competence and our hands & feet, we’ve committed ourselves to do at least a tiny little something for those who need it the most.

We do things continuously but sometimes we do something a bit out of the ordinary. And in the autumn of 2018 we set aside a full day for all employees for helping and caring for other people directly, the environment, help organizations or something else. And as Milou employed 29 people at the time, our total effort became really big and was able to produce some really nice things.

Some of us decided to clean the beaches on some of the islands in the archipelago around us. And in the company of cows and strong winds, we managed to find and gather huge amounts of plastic, aluminum, rubber and more during the day spent outside. Not that finding all this was a positive thing in the first place but getting it off our precious beaches and shallow waters, was so relieving for everyone taking part. As well as appreciated by the by-standing animals.

One group chose to design and produce a carry-bag with the sole purpose of raising awareness and money for national initiative “Musikhjälpen”. All profits from selling the bag went directly to the 2018 initiative “Everyone has the right to function their way”. In addition, the message on the bag was aiming at empowering both the person carrying it and the one reading the text.

A designer at Milou created communications material for selling online with all the benefits going directly to a regional animal shelter while another used their time going through and preparing items in advance of being sold at “Stadsmissionens” flea market.

But it could also mean just using the day to help someone in dire straits – such as getting a person’s car up to standard after involuntary neglect or spending time helping kids in an area with their homework in an organized way.

All in all – so many ways that we, privileged as we are, could and should help those who aren’t. And truth be told – we had so much fun along the way that it’s hard to call it anything other than an investment in ourselves as well.