A Different Kind of Team Building: A Day of Service for NDTR

For Canadian companies, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation offers a profound opportunity to move beyond passive acknowledgment and foster genuine action and understanding within their teams. 

Instead of traditional team-building exercises focused on competition or abstract problem-solving, imagine redirecting that energy towards a day of meaningful service to an Indigenous-led organization or community. 

This approach transforms team building into an act of solidarity, fostering deeper connections among employees while making a tangible difference. To ensure such a day runs smoothly and respectfully, essential logistical support, like reliable portable outdoor coolers, becomes invaluable.

The Power of Shared Purpose: Supporting Community with Portable Outdoor Coolers

True team building often emerges not from contrived challenges, but from shared experiences and collective effort towards a meaningful goal. On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this means focusing on acts of service that directly benefit Indigenous communities. 

Such initiatives build empathy, foster genuine connections, and demonstrate active partnership. In these scenarios, the practical support provided by portable outdoor coolers is crucial.

  • Building Cohesion Through Contribution: When employees work side-by-side on a project that genuinely helps a community, the bonds formed are far stronger than those from typical team exercises. It shifts the focus from individual performance to collective impact, creating a powerful sense of shared purpose and pride.

  • Facilitating Seamless Service: Volunteer days, especially outdoors, require reliable logistical support. Ensuring your team is well-hydrated and nourished is important for sustained effort and morale. A robust cooler like the 55L Chilly Ice Box Cooler can serve as a central hub for refreshments, easily transportable to any work site.

  • A Gesture of Respect and Care: Providing quality sustenance is a fundamental act of hospitality and care. It signals to your team that their well-being is valued as they dedicate their time and energy to an important cause.

Equip your team for impact. Explore our collection of portable outdoor coolers at Chilly Moose.

Navigating the Corporate Gifting Challenge: From Object to Experience


The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a day for traditional corporate gifting. Companies face the challenge of showing authentic support without any gesture being perceived as performative or insensitive. A day of service elegantly bypasses these challenges by shifting the focus from an item to an experience and a contribution.

  • Beyond the Transactional Gift: Conventional corporate gifts, no matter how thoughtful on other occasions, can feel misaligned with the solemnity and purpose of NDTR. They can inadvertently reduce the day to a transaction rather than an opportunity for genuine engagement and reflection.

  • The Gift of Time and Labour: For NDTR, the most profound "gift" a company can offer is dedicated, paid time for its employees to participate in acts of service or learning. This demonstrates a deep commitment to the values of reconciliation and provides a tangible resource that directly benefits Indigenous-led initiatives.

  • Supporting the Experience: While the primary gift is time and effort, practical support enhances the experience. Imagine equipping your team with personal, compact coolers like the 9L Cabot Cooler Cube for individual hydration, or the 16L Bowen Cooler for small groups, as they move through a community project. This ensures comfort and readiness for the day's tasks, making the experience more positive and sustainable.

Transform corporate challenges into community solutions. Contact Chilly Moose for supportive gear.

Designing a Day of Meaningful Service: Actionable Ideas

Creating a successful day of service requires careful planning, respectful outreach, and clear communication. The goal is to ensure the activity genuinely supports an Indigenous-led organization while providing a valuable learning and team-building experience for your employees.

  • Partnering with Local Indigenous Organizations: Start by respectfully reaching out to local Friendship Centres, Indigenous community centres, or Indigenous-led charities. Inquire about their specific needs for volunteer support. This could involve anything from gardening and clean-up efforts to helping with event setup or administrative tasks. It's crucial that the service directly meets their expressed needs.

  • Supporting Community Events: Many Indigenous organizations host commemorative events on or around September 30th. Your team could offer logistical support for these gatherings, helping with setup, serving refreshments, or assisting attendees. For such a role, reliable coolers are indispensable for managing food and drinks. A wheeled option like the 35L Wheeled Explorer Ice Box Cooler is particularly useful for moving supplies efficiently across event grounds.

  • Land-Based Restoration Projects: Engage in activities that contribute to the care of the land, guided by Indigenous environmental groups or knowledge keepers. This could involve tree planting, trail maintenance, or invasive species removal on traditional territories. Such activities foster a deeper connection to the land and Indigenous perspectives on environmental stewardship. A rugged cooler ensures the team stays hydrated and fueled for physical tasks.

Plan a day that truly matters. Discover our durable coolers at Chilly Moose.

Navigating Logistics: Essential Gear for Outdoor Service

Successful outdoor team building, especially on a day of service, hinges on well-managed logistics. Providing the right gear ensures comfort, sustained effort, and the safety of your team, allowing them to focus entirely on the task at hand. This is where portable outdoor coolers prove their indispensable value.

  • Hydration is Key: Physical labour or spending extended time outdoors requires constant hydration. Large-capacity coolers filled with water, juice, and perhaps some electrolyte drinks are vital. Individual water bottles can be replenished from a central cooler like the 25L Chilly Ice Box Cooler, which is sturdy and provides ample capacity.

  • Nourishment for Sustained Effort: A nutritious lunch and energizing snacks are crucial for maintaining morale and productivity throughout the day. Portable coolers keep food fresh and appealing, whether it's a catered meal or packed lunches from home. For more complex needs, or longer projects, the advanced 45L Wheeled Portable Fridge-Freezer, with its battery and app-controlled temperature, offers unparalleled flexibility for keeping perishables perfectly.

  • Accessibility and Mobility: Volunteer sites can be sprawling or remote. The ease of transporting food and drinks is a significant factor. Options with handles, wheels, or even shoulder straps, like the Canadiana 12L Harbour Bucket Cooler (with its heavy-duty woven strap), make managing supplies much simpler, allowing the team to focus on their service, not on cumbersome logistics.

Ensure your team is always ready. Explore our range of portable outdoor coolers at Chilly Moose.

From Service to Sustained Engagement

A day of service on September 30th should be viewed not as an end in itself, but as a powerful beginning. It's a catalyst for deeper understanding, stronger team bonds, and a long-term commitment to reconciliation within the company culture.

  • Post-Service Reflection: Facilitate a debriefing session after the service activity. Encourage team members to share their experiences, what they learned, and how the day impacted their understanding of reconciliation. This helps solidify the learning and emotional impact.

  • Ongoing Partnership: Use the day of service to build a lasting relationship with the Indigenous organization you supported. Explore opportunities for continued volunteering, mentorship, or financial contributions throughout the year.

  • Integrate Learning Internally: Use the insights gained from the day of service to inform internal diversity and inclusion initiatives. This ensures the experience translates into meaningful, systemic change within your organization.


True Connection: Portable Outdoor Coolers for a Day of Reconciliation

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a call for us to come together, to learn, and to act. For Canadian companies, fostering a day of meaningful service is an impactful way to respond to that call. It creates a different, deeper kind of team building; one rooted in shared purpose and community support. 

In these vital efforts, portable outdoor coolers are more than just practical gear; they are silent enablers of a respectful, engaged, and truly connected workforce on the path toward reconciliation.

Ready to plan a day of service that makes a difference? Contact Chilly Moose to learn more about our collection of portable outdoor coolers.

Back to The Observation Deck