How can you help support community’s workforce?

Last month I shared some tips that businesses can implement to address workforce challenges. This month I want to continue with the same workforce theme by sharing some ways individual community members can also help.  
While this may seem like a problem that can only be solved by business owners and community leaders, there are many ways the public can help with short-term and long-term efforts.
The first way the public can support workforce challenges is by re-entering the workforce or supporting people who are wanting to work but can’t. There are people who don’t feel like they can work, don’t need to work, are retired, and so on and so forth. If each of these people found a way to support the workforce in some way, it would make a large impact collectively. 
Before you start knocking down my office door because I said you should re-enter the workforce, hear me out a little. I am not suggesting that people get a job they dislike, work a full-time schedule, or feel bad about their choice not to work. What I am pointing out is that there are so many alternative ways to work or support the workforce in the world today. You might even be able to find an enjoyable work alternative that will add purpose to your life, while adding a little cash to your account and supporting businesses who are struggling.  
In today’s world, it is possible to work from home, find a job with flexible hours, complete one or two simple tasks per week for a business when it fits in your schedule, watch a grandchild so their parents can work, do freelance work, and the list could go on and on.    
Even something as small as watching a few kids after school, so their parents can work a full-time schedule, can create a big impact. To put this impact in perspective, let’s look at the idea of running an after-school program. By working from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (two hours a day, 10 hours a week) two individuals could watch 30 students who are 6 and 7 years old, according to state guidelines. This would create the potential to allow 60 people to work two extra hours, which equals 120 extra working hours. This is a large return on investment in terms of hours, not to mention the earning potential of both the parents who are working as well as the individual’s providing childcare.  
Obviously watching kids isn’t for everyone, but maybe there is space at your church and someone who has mentioned wanting to start an after-school program or you have heard about an organization that wants to expand childcare offerings and they need some help with funding or making details come together. Support these people in whatever way you can.  
My overall point here is that there are opportunities all around us that could support, help, and improve the workforce challenges that our businesses and community are facing. Sometimes we get too busy and focused on our own agendas that we don’t take the time to look at the big picture and see where we can help the cause. If everyone does something small, it can make a huge impact.  
At the least, if you can’t find a way to help the cause, or you are already stretched too thin, just remember to give businesses and their employees some grace. Many business owners are up against a wall from several angles and their employees are stretched thin while trying to help customers in less-than-ideal circumstances. Showing everyone involved a little grace won’t fix our workforce challenges, but will make it more tolerable for everyone, which we all can appreciate.      
KELSEY BERGEN serves as executive director of the ADC. She can be reached at kelsey@growaurora.com