Following the holiday season, Laura Ruth, an instructional designer for Baptist OneCare, asked a very poignant question of herself and others: Why do we only give passionately for a few months out of the year?
“We had all this camaraderie during the holidays with cooking and sharing, and we wanted that to keep going,” said Laura.
When her 11-member team, led by Beverly Jordan, vice president and chief information and transformation officer for Baptist, listened, the group didn’t leave the question unanswered; they created the answer.
Laura spearheaded a new departmental initiative called “Year of Giving 2016” with the full support of Cindy Cain, director of BOC and technology training, and the instructional designers. In a nutshell, each team member thought about what charity, cause or group played strongest upon their heartstrings– and then assigned a month to give to that group.
“We want this to be the easiest thing in the world for people. We want giving to be a mindful thing, but also give people time and opportunity to give. For instance, we all see sale tables throughout the year. Maybe it’s a pack of socks for two dollars or a blanket on sale. That may not mean much to us but it means the world to someone who needs it,” said Laura.
In January, Cindy worked with a longtime friend who founded Manna House, a resource for poor and homeless Memphians, to solicit donations.
“It’s like the living room of Midtown where people can hang out together, shower, get clean clothes, socks and coffee or water depending on the season. It’s located about two blocks from St. Vincent’s soup kitchen,” said Cindy.
At the end of the month, the BOC team delivered socks, underwear, clothing, hand-knitted scarves, jackets, towels and more, all collected by the BOC training team in January.
“My whole car was full,” said Laura.
While their efforts could be billed as yet another corporate initiative or a defined team-building exercise with a limited lifespan, it’s clear Year of Giving 2016 has already taken on a life of its own.
“We are not there to judge, just to help,” said Cindy.
In the months to come, Baptist team members have the chance to give based on the shape of their own hearts. Do you like to paint pottery or prefer pet rescue? Do you have plenty of extra travel bags or gravitate toward helping young women get educated? Whatever your passion for giving, 2016 may be the year to let it shine stronger.
Year of Giving 2016
- January-Manna House- collect items> socks, underwear, bath items, towels.
- February-Mid South Mission of Mercy- hats, gloves, blankets
- March- Youth Villages> collect travel bags (suitcases, duffel bags, backpacks) Many of these kids are on the move from home to home; having a bag that belongs to them makes them feel somewhat stable.
- April- Animal Shelters- Street Dog- food and leashes/collars, towels, blankets. New or used items are acceptable. Cat items welcome, too.
- May – Empty Bowls—Paint a bowl and donate it to a soup kitchen.
- June-Camp Good Grief- crayons; markers; colored pencils; poster board; big, colored index cards; coloring books; gently used children’s books
- July- Veterans-Alpha Omega- kitchen items, cleaning products
- August – Send a Girl to School- Collect money for Send a Girl to School.
- September-Ronald McDonald House- Collect pop tabs from soda cans (Ronald McDonald House recycles the pop tabs and receives money for them), individual snack items, juice boxes, chips, etc.
- October- Breast cancer awareness
- November- Food Bank
- December- “Angel Tree”
All items are due the last Monday of the month.
Drop off location- Cindy Cain’s office.