On Friday, December 3rd, our the entire Incept family gathered to spend time with one another and celebrate another year gone by at our annual Holiday Party.
Photos were taken, toasts were made, speeches were given, and music was played. Then during dinner everyone’s attention was directed to the front of the hall where our Vice President of New Client Results and trustee on the board for of our Incept Gives Charitable Foundation Employee Fund, Billie Johnson, began to speak.
As Billie recapped just how grateful we were to be given the chance to make an impact in the lives of others -thanks to the hard work of our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) – the rest of the board passed out an envelope personally addressed to each of the members of our staff. Inside was a personally signed card from all of the members of the board, as well as a gift certificate that would allow all of our employees to pick up some groceries without having to worry about the cost.
A sense of excitement and thankfulness filled the hall. Then came the second announcement: everyone was invited to help spread the love even further by making Christmas a reality for children less fortunate than ourselves. That Sunday a group of Incept staff and family members descended on a nearby Wal-Mart to play Santa’s little helpers. They each took a piece of paper with a child’s name, age, clothing sizes and wish list on it.
I had the opportunity to shop for a little, 7-year-old boy named Austin. To say that I was excited when I saw he wanted Nerf guns, Tech Deck skateboards and art supplies would be an understatement! Over the next hour or so I scurried about Wal-Mart, capturing as much of the magic on film as I could. I was touched so deeply by the pure joy on the faces of our employees while they shopped for these kids that I couldn’t stop smiling for almost two days.
In all, we purchased gifts for 38 children who would have had nothing to open for Christmas without the kindness and compassion shown by our team members. I’m proud to say that we shocked the employees of the McDonald’s store (where we picked up all the names), when we showed up with a carload of presents for them to send back to the Salvation Army.
I’m more proud to say that I now have a bond with Austin, even though I never have and never will meet him. I became a part of that young man’s Christmas holiday. On Christmas morning, he will be opening wrapped presents containing a Nerf gun with extra darts, more Tech Decks than I would know what to do with and a nice 86-piece art kit. And it’s all because of the compassion that we believe in showing to others.
On a side note, just typing this blog post for you to read has brought a smile to my face again! Austin, I hope you enjoy your gifts little buddy!
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Giving presents to children is one of the most rewarding Christmas activities, especially when the children really need the presents. Great post!