IFYC is closing up shop the week of July 5, and that’s good for business. Here’s why.

Earlier this year, our leadership team was grappling with a question. We launched some amazing programs this year – Faith and Vaccine, We Are Each Other’s, Black Interfaith, Engaging Religious Diversity at Work, Racial Equity grants, and Racial Equity Media Fellows, just to name a few. We did all of this during an incredibly challenging year of twin pandemics – COVID-19 and racial injustice. Our question was this: How could we thank our team for an insanely productive year? The answer was obvious – give people time off. But how could we give time off in a way that was meaningful and truly allow our team to slow down? The second answer wasn’t as obvious to us at first, but became clear – we’re closing the office for an entire week and giving everyone the week off.

IFYC will be offline next week, July 5-9th, 2021. That means no programs, no projects, no one answering the phone that week. Here’s why:

So, if you have vacation time, take it. If you’re in a leadership role, consider closing your doors for a short period of time. You – and your teams – will probably be happier, and come back better prepared to tackle the next big thing.

Amber Hacker (@AmberJHacker) is the Vice President of Operations and Finance at Interfaith Youth Core. She currently oversees a wide range of functions within the organization, from accounting, IT, talent development, HR, to facilities and operations. She holds an MBA from American University’s Kogod School of Business where she studied finance and time management (which she did while working full time and also being a full-time parent, so she practices what she preaches!). Amber was recently featured in an article on personal finance for Woman’s Day magazine. She and her husband Jason live in Chicago with their two children.