Community Service: Why What You Do Outside of Work Matters More Than You Think
By Barry Victor | November 21, 2025
Community Service: Why What You Do Outside of Work Matters More Than You Think
Written by Barry Victor, President and Owner of PROS Parts
When you run a drycleaning business or manage an industrial laundry operation, your days are full, machines to maintain, customers to serve, parts to order, and schedules that never seem to slow down. It can feel like there’s no time left for anything beyond keeping things running smoothly.
But often, it’s what happens outside of daily operations that makes the biggest impact.
Community service doesn’t have to be big, formal, or complicated. Sometimes it’s as simple as coordinating a blood drive, hanging a flyer for a local food shelf at your counter, or giving employees a few hours to volunteer together. Those small acts build something powerful: connection.
Why Community Service Matters in Our Industry
Drycleaners, industrial laundries, hotels, and commercial operations are deeply tied to their communities. You serve families, hospitals, schools, restaurants, and local businesses every single day. When you show up for your community beyond the transactional side of business, people notice.
Customers want to support businesses that care. Employees want to work for companies that stand for something.
Community service builds trust, loyalty, and pride, not through marketing slogans, but through action.
Real Examples That Inspire
One great example close to my home is Pilgrim Cleaner’s “Coats for Kids” campaign in Minnesota. What started as a simple idea — collecting gently used coats for children in need, has grown into a movement that keeps thousands of kids warm each winter.
It works because it’s simple:
- Customers bring in coats they no longer need
- The business becomes a trusted drop-off point
- Local organizations help distribute them to families
The drycleaner, becomes more than a service provider. They become a hub of kindness.
That kind of impact doesn’t require a massive budget, special skills, or extra staff. It just takes intention.
Simple Ways Your Business Can Give Back
If you’re thinking, “We’re too small” or “We don’t have time for that,” you’re not alone. The good news is that community service can be built into what you already do.
Here are a few simple ideas that work well in our industry:
- Partner with a local blood bank: Schedule a mobile blood drive in your parking lot or encourage appointments during a workday.
- Use your counter space for good: Display flyers for local shelters, food drives, or school supply collections.
- Give employees a chance to serve: Offer a few paid hours each year for volunteering. Group projects like food bank sorting or park clean-ups build strong team bonds.
- Host or support donation drives: Coats, blankets, school supplies, or hygiene kits are especially relevant for businesses that already work with textiles and cleaning.
The Impact on Your Team
This isn’t just about brand image. It directly impacts your employees.
People feel more connected to their work when they feel connected to a purpose. Serving together builds camaraderie. It creates stories your team will talk about for years. It reminds everyone that the work you do supports more than just a bottom line.
Engaged employees show up differently. They care more. They stay longer. They serve customers better.
Community Is Built One Small Step at a Time
Community service doesn’t need to be perfect or polished. It just needs to be real.
Whether it’s a coat drive, a blood donation, or simply helping spread the word about local needs, these actions shape your culture and strengthen your connection to the people you serve.
At PROS Parts, we believe strong businesses are built not just on reliable equipment and quality parts, but on strong communities and generous hearts.
Each year we make a donation to an organization. This year we decided to match our staff’s donations to their favorite charity to inspire philanthropy while helping the organizations they care about.
And it all starts with one small step.
As always, PROS is here for your equipment parts needs.
Contact us or visit our website
About Barry Victor
Barry founded PROS Parts in the spring of 1988. Before starting PROS, Barry worked in the sales and engineering departments of Vic Manufacturing, one of the largest manufacturers of dry cleaning equipment in the U.S. At Vic, Barry launched a parts sales division that supported dry cleaning equipment imported from Italy and Germany. In its early years, PROS manufactured dry cleaning machinery and supported the parts needs of owners of Italian drycleaning machinery. Later, they added industrial and commercial laundry equipment parts. Barry lives in Plymouth, Minnesota with his wife. He has two sons, a stepson, a stepdaughter, and his dog, Sora.
Barry can be reached at 763-231-7379 or barryv@prosparts.com.