It's that time of year again, which means our signature holiday program, SDGivE is back and better than ever. Through SDGivE, employee volunteers dedicate their time and talent to spread kindness and cheer to those in need.
This holiday season, employees have put together more than 50 volunteer service projects ranging from holiday meal distributions for unsheltered individuals to essential items and holiday gift drives for women, children, and refugees. Including time and talent, We are donating more than $130,000 to support our employees and the causes they care about.
Feeding people in need
With more than 450,000 San Diegans facing food insecurity, SDGivE activated numerous projects focused on food assistance leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. Over the last two weeks, approximately 25 employees volunteered to distribute turkeys, harvest boxes and holiday meal kits directly to people in need in their local communities.
In addition, employees teamed up with organizations and churches in southeast San Diego, Vista, and the south bay area to package and distribute the meals to low-income and unsheltered individuals, families, veterans, and seniors who otherwise would not have access to a Thanksgiving meal.
SDGivE spotlight
On November 22, SDGivE volunteers assembled 200 bags with turkeys and Thanksgiving meals in partnership with TriCity Pantry. Serving residents from Oceanside and Vista, TriCity Pantry is a food bank committed to helping families and individuals not go hungry. The organization serves North County San Diego and distributes food to more than 300 families each week.
Operation holiday kindness cards
As part of the SDGivE program, we also teamed up with Art FORM to supply our employees and their families with card-making kits equipped with paper, cards, postcards and other repurposed supplies to make homemade holiday kindness cards. In addition, art FORM is committed to instilling art education and environmental stewardship through creative reuse.
Each year, the San Diego-based nonprofit diverts over 8 tons of reusable materials by engaging students and community members in art workshops and education.
Using Art FORM's recycled and repurposed materials, more than 100 employees have committed to creating holiday kindness cards for local community members, including seniors, foster youth, active-duty military families, and other individuals and families in need. In addition to cards created by employees, the Armed Services Camp Pendleton, Promises2Kids, Serving Seniors and South Bay Community Services received a $1,500-holiday grant in support of employee volunteer efforts.
Season of giving
Over the next four weeks, more than 300 of our employees will be out in the community, serving the causes that matter most to them. Check out our NewsCenter each week to see what they have been up to in our community!