Constructing little free libraries to populate the woods at a life-changing summer camp. Stuffing hundreds of teddy bears to comfort sick children. Organizing and packing 10,000 bagels to distribute to people in need.  

These are just a few of the many ways our team member volunteers give back during Good Citizens Month, a month-long effort around the world to elevate one another and our communities through acts of service. This year, thousands of Inspire and franchisee volunteers came together to support hundreds of service projects, benefiting more than 110 nonprofits around the world. 

“Good Citizens Month is something we encourage and celebrate to drive our culture – because being a Good Citizen is not just a one-month thing,” says Inspire Foundation Executive Director Stuart Brown. “We offer ways to volunteer across Inspire and our brands year-round, be it team projects or company-wide initiatives.”

Inspire began Good Citizens Month in 2020, creating space for team members to embody our Good Citizens behavior. 

“It’s become an Inspire tradition to present Good Citizens Awards at the end of May, and this year, the Foundation is recognizing Matt Dobbel,” said Stuart, celebrating the Jimmy John’s Operating Services Manager. “Matt reached out and asked how he could do more than he’d ever done before – he said, ‘I see the vision; I see the impact we can make’.” 

Throughout May, Matt recruited dozens of Jimmy John’s franchise business consultant team members to lead projects and bring Good Citizens Month to new communities. Together, they executed eight service projects supported by nearly 100 franchisee team member volunteers. As the first ever two-time Good Citizen of the Year, Matt led with enthusiasm and purpose, embodying what this month is all about. 

To see more individual projects celebrated and shared, search #goodcitizensmonth across social media.