How to celebrate city staff during Public Service Recognition Week

Public Service Recognition Week is May 7-13 this year. This special week has been set aside every May since 1985 to honor the staff who serve our nation at all levels, in all our communities. Public service employees work tirelessly year-round, often over long hours or in potentially dangerous situations, to ensure the people they serve get what they need to live, work, play, and thrive.

When people hear the phrase ‘public service,’ or ‘civil service,’ they may think of teachers, nurses, EMTs, firefighters, and even of our military servicemembers—those who give their time and energy on the front lines for the things that matter most. But public service also includes all the people who work to provide expert government and nonprofit services—from city, state, and tribal leaders to those at the permit desks, from workers making sure our water is clean and safe, to administrators filing papers or answering phones. These good folks help us get our projects done, guide community growth, connect us to resources, educate our children, care for our elders, and meet a million other seen and unseen needs. Despite the many difficulties and challenges, they do that work well. It’s one of the reasons—perhaps even the main reason—our country thrives.

Public servants are often driven, not just by the desire to improve their own place in the world, but by the sense of fulfillment they get from knowing their work helps make things better for their fellow human beings. It’s right there in the title. A Washington Post article quote from Bill Corr, then the deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, speaking to graduates of a training program run by the Center for Government Leadership, captures that drive:

“Be the leaders that you’ve always wanted to see in your government. Be the leaders that the American people expect you to be. Don’t wait for others to create the next great government program or come up with the next great innovation, and don’t lose the spirit of service that brought you here in the first place.”

Public Service Recognition Week is an opportunity to celebrate the work of public servants in our communities, to tell them they matter—and that their work matters. Those same people know that the answer to the question, “Why work for local government” is easy; the work does good—and the work is good. It’s challenging, it’s meaningful, and it’s valued.

We at AWC encourage you to thank a public servant this week. Here are some ideas you can use to celebrate city staff:

• Participate in a local event. Check around your community to see what may be already planned.
• If your community isn’t celebrating big, take a minute to celebrate small. Grab a basket of snacks, pastries, or other goods to share at the office and include a note thanking staff.
• Check out the #PSRW, and #IServeBecause hashtags to hear others’ stories, then try one of these ideas from the Partnership for Public Service that include proclamations, awards, and other ideas for celebrating your own department or team.
• A simple thank you goes a long way. Why not say it in person, and then post it on your socials? Capture a picture with a group of staff and post it to your social media stories and reels.

Lastly, if you know someone interested in a career upgrade or launch, Public Service Recognition Week is a great time to start—and AWC’s JobNet is a great resource to help someone find their public service career today!