Giving Back is Always in Season
By on January 7, 2019
You hear about giving back to others a lot during this time of year, but this statement is one we take pride in all year long. “Give Back” was identified as a core value at Qualtrax, not because we just desired to make it one, but because it was something our team was passionate about and regularly demonstrated.
While we always participate in giving throughout the entire year, this year was the first year we decided to plan out our activities in advance by giving each quarter a theme. Q1 started with our entire organization coming together to collect food for local charity, Micah’s Backpack! Micah’s Backpack aims to address food insecurity for youth in ten local schools in the New River Valley, and we were all in!
To create healthy competition in the workplace, we conquered and divided into teams to see which group could collect the most food for the organization. The amount of support blew one of our employees, Terry Driver, away, as we were able to gather over 2,000 items to give to Micah’s Backpack (with the Support Team winning the donation challenge!) “It breaks my heart that there are hungry children,” she said. “I was moved and touched by the response of my team, how the whole team got involved to make this so great to help feed children.”
Q2 brought puppies to Qualtrax, as we focused on giving back to our furry community members. We partnered with the Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center to provide over 60 blankets, towels, and sheets for the animals they are housing! Best part–as gratitude for our support, three puppies were brought over to Qualtrax for our team to play with! BEST DAY EVER.
We turned our attention to the environment during Q3. This quarter brought about several different initiatives, including one that hit close to home for one of our employees; the devastating floods in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. We collected for a family that was severely impacted by the flooding in August to help repair what had been destroyed.
Other ways we gave back to the environment included volunteering at Claytor Lake to cut down and clear out an invasive tree and a donation to support Hahn Horticulture Garden at Virginia Tech.
Lastly, we celebrated the holiday season in Q4! We started the official season of giving by volunteering our time at the Montgomery County Christmas Store, which is a nonprofit organization that assists low-income families in the area during the Christmas season by providing a shopping experience to them. Back at HQ, we started adding presents under the Christmas tree for both kids and seniors alike. We collected blankets, toiletries, and puzzle books for the English Meadows Assisted Living facility for seniors; and two local children, a boy and girl, that we picked from the Salvation Army Angel Tree to help make their holiday season a little brighter. We had fun picking out toys, clothes, and other necessities for the little ones to enjoy!
While we mostly stuck to schedule, there were other initiatives we took part in throughout the year (we just couldn’t help ourselves!), such as our cornhole tournament! Our competitive edge was brought out once again in efforts to raise money for Cure SMA, which aims to find a cure for spinal muscular atrophy, the number one genetic cause of death for infants. Members from the sales team took home the trophy, and we all had fun slinging bags for a great cause.
Giving back doesn’t just occur during the holiday season for the Qualtrax team. We are motivated each and every day by our core values, and are reminded to use our talents and efforts to give to others year round. We encourage you to find an area you are passionate about and learn how you can use your talents for volunteering. It’s always a great time to give back to others!
Category: Culture
