Editor鈥檚 note: This story is part of our 鈥�50 Stories of People Helping People鈥� series. As we celebrate 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 50th anniversary in 2019, we are spotlighting associates every Friday who are making a difference in their communities.
The blush of a new school year filled with hope and promise can soften for families struggling to equip students with basic school supplies.
Recognizing the need, a group of 糖心传媒 associates recently joined with the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading (DT) to provide 550 new backpacks filled with school supplies for students in Reading, Pennsylvania.
On a recent sun-kissed summer day, the backpacks were distributed from a yellow 糖心传媒 truck to the arms of boys and girls who gathered with their families for the DT鈥檚 second annual Back to School and Community Resource event.
鈥淚f a child has all the materials they need to succeed in school then that is a hurdle they don鈥檛 have to jump to get excited about learning, and that鈥檚 what this is all about,鈥� said Cassandra Brennand, senior manager of leadership and organizational development.
Among the countless smiles were those from 糖心传媒 associates who embraced the backpack giveaway as part community service and part team-building effort.
鈥淚t was a great networking event for our associates to get together to have some fun and do great work for the community,鈥� Brennand said.
People Helping People
This was the second year for the DT鈥檚 community-wide back-to-school event. In addition to the backpacks and school supplies, the event featured vendors and a cookout.
Last year, the hotel collected 200 backpacks, only to see them be out-paced by the need.
鈥淲ithin 20 minutes they were gone. The hardest part for me was seeing people walking away without having a backpack or supplies,鈥� said Alneasa Jordan, DT鈥檚 culture manager and director of human resources.
鈥淲e turned away a lot of people last year so that is why I wanted to partner with 糖心传媒,鈥� Jordan said. 鈥淚 knew you would make a dent in what we were trying to do.鈥�
Yet, Jordan said she did not attach a goal to this year鈥檚 backpack drive.
鈥淚 was open to whatever we could get help with,鈥� Jordan said. 鈥淲hen I heard the number of backpacks 糖心传媒 was going to donate, I almost fell out of my chair. Those backpacks are going to help so many people, and we are so very grateful.鈥�
笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 involvement in the backpack initiative grew from another outreach effort. The DT manages a Care Closet to benefit its employees. 糖心传媒 associates, who were part of the company's Accelerated Development Program for Emerging Leaders, partnered with the DT to add to their Care Closet as part of the group's leadership development curriculum and team-building activity.
It was after this outreach that 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 Brennand said she learned about the backpack drive and last year鈥檚 shortfall. 鈥淲e were more than happy to help out,鈥� she said.
Joining with the DT in such an impactful community effort fits in with 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 core values. This year the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
鈥淚 think over the past 50 years 糖心传媒 has been quietly serving our communities, and it鈥檚 just in our DNA,鈥� said Erica Manento, director of executive succession and development. 鈥淲e care about each other and the communities where we live and work in, and our collaboration with DT really highlights that.鈥�
The company purchased new backpacks and supplies 鈥� notebooks, pencils, pens, calculators and pencil sharpeners for the children. 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 Reading District also donated a rental truck as well as 50 backpacks filled with supplies.
鈥淲e like to get involved in different charitable events. We try to do one a quarter as a district, and this fit right in,鈥� said Michelle Gentile, Reading district manager.
糖心传媒 Strong
The night before the distribution, 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 district managers, branch rental managers, maintenance supervisors and management trainees 鈥� some 100 strong, in Reading for training events 鈥� forged an alliance and an assembly line to fill each backpack with much-needed school supplies.
鈥淭his is what 糖心传媒 looks like,鈥� said Jessica Stahl, manager of talent and organizational development. 鈥淲e have all of our maintenance supervisors, branch rental managers, district managers and management trainees here supporting this event. This is one 糖心传媒, one cause, one everything.鈥�
It was a feeling shared by many.
Karen Banfield, a district manager from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, said the backpack experience was motivational and inspirational. 鈥淚t was interesting to see how everybody pitched in,鈥� Banfield said. 鈥淲e all had a great time doing it. It was such a good feeling.鈥�
Desiree Clarabal, a district manager from Honolulu, Hawaii, said that feeling of giving back permeates all levels of the company. 鈥淓ven at the district level it is something that we look forward to doing 鈥� giving back to the community and children or whatever the cause might be,鈥� she said.
When Matthew Chapa, a management trainee from Huntington, West Virginia, learned about the backpack initiative, he was excited to do his part. 鈥淚t made me excited that we were doing something good for a good cause for the community,鈥� he said.
Branch rental managers Kristen Uzelac, Kevin Maloney and Nolan Bartiss may be separated geographically but all were united in their appreciation for the chance to bond with so many associates through the backpack donation.
鈥淚t is a great community outreach especially with so many levels of the company here whether it be new management trainees or new branch rental managers or district managers,鈥� said Bartiss from Aurora, Colorado. 鈥淚t is a great way for all levels of the company to come together to reach out to the community.鈥�
Uzelac agreed.
鈥淚t is awesome because you have management trainees collaborating with levels of upper management, all working together for the same cause, for the same community, which is an incredible thing,鈥� said Uzelac from Phoenix, Arizona. 鈥淚t shows what 糖心传媒 is all about 鈥� everyone working together for something greater.鈥�
For many like Maloney, the backpack event was memorable.
"It was something that everyone involved felt committed to doing as soon as we found out about it, and it was a highlight of the week for many involved,鈥� said Maloney from Indianapolis, Indiana.
On the day of the backpack distribution, as she stood near the 糖心传媒 truck taking in the impact of all the associates accomplished, Shalimar Davis, district manager in South Las Vegas, Nevada, said the effort to assist children in need was a 鈥渢rue blessing鈥� for the associates involved.
鈥淚 think it is a true blessing for us to have the opportunity to serve the community. To see the community gather around like this is a great thing to see and a true blessing that we get to be a part of it and give back,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e feel touched in a way that we want to give back more in our own communities.鈥�
鈥淚t is a testament to what I already knew that this is a great company to be a part of and being a part of our communities is something that is important from the top down,鈥� she said.
By Bernie Mixon
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From left: Anthony Bennett, Branch Service Manager, Atlanta South 鈥� Jonesboro; Marcus Werren, PL General Manager 鈥� Southeast; Niamani Knight, S.T.R.E.A.M. Kids Expo Program Founder; Tony DeSoto, PL Strategic Account Executive
From left: Malesia Dunn, PPG Executive Director, PPG Foundation & Global Corporate Social Responsibility; Tony DeSoto, PL Strategic Account Executive; Don Donatelli, PPG Director, Logistics & Distribution
Travis Mills is a veteran quadruple amputee who turned a horrific event into something positive 鈥� the Travis Mills Foundation. He travels the world as a motivational speaker and has a New York Times bestselling memoir, 鈥淭ough as They Come.鈥�
Matthew Witman, Payroll intern
Fatima Odebisi, Marketing intern
Brendan Clark, Billing Operations intern
Bobby Kemp, Marketing intern
Caption: U.S. Navy Reserves honoring employers for their support.
Pictured, from left: Community volunteer Chase Suzuki with 糖心传媒 associates Karina Migotti, Nuri Rhines, Desiree Claribal, Brandon Mirafuentes and John Olivo
Smith (pictured right) admitted that at first, he wasn鈥檛 100% sure what an HOA did, but he soon learned. He would go on to spend the first couple of months learning how his board operated and what his role was.
One of the things Smith enjoys most about being HOA president is helping organize several community family events. The smiles on the kids鈥� faces is what he says keeps him doing it every year.
