On Thursday, July 14th, 2011, the Incept Gives Board held its monthly meeting… with a twist. Instead of sitting around the Incept conference room table, as we normally do, we gathered in the parking lot at the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. We were about to get a firsthand look at the miracles made by Incept’s donation last year.
A Look Back
In June of 2010, in front of our employees during an Employee Of the Month ceremony, the Incept Gives Board was proud to make a donation to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank that went toward purchasing and distributing 100 cases (or 4,800 cans) of tuna. Tuna is one of what the food bank calls its “Super 6″ foods. In non-food-bank lingo it means that among other things it’s high in protein and lasts for a long time. This makes tuna a high-value commodity for the local agencies that distribute food to local community members in need.
Because of the hard work and success of Incept’s employees, 4,800 cans of tuna went directly into the hands of people in Stark County who were fighting to put food on the table. Our donation impacted our neighbors, friends and coworkers. We are proud to have made an impact in our local community.
Firsthand Experience
Getting to see the facilities at the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank firsthand really amplified the feelings I had about the importance of the work they do. It’s always an honor to get an inside look at an organization when we have the chance to meet at their facilities or take a group tour. But touring the food bank had a special impact on me, especially when our host informed us that U.S. Census Bureau reports indicated that in 2009 24.8% of all children in Stark County, OH lived in poverty. Take any four children from your average grade school classroom in 2009, and one of them is hungry and living below the poverty line. Knowing such things made our visit that much more meaningful for me.
As we toured the food bank, we all felt humbled by the scope of what they do. They have an entire warehouse housing industrial shelves loaded with donated and purchased food. The massive freezer in the back of the facility is large enough to fit my apartment and still have room for storage. The loading zone where member distribution agencies pick up food is organized and set up with military-like precision, so not a single item goes to waste. It was almost overwhelming to think of how effectively this organization impacts the lives of so many people.
How To Get Involved
In short, I was left in awe by the work the team at the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank does. If you’d like to get involved, there are a number of ways in which you can make a difference, ranging from donating your time to hosting a food drive in your community. You can also make a financial donation or attend one of the food bank’s events, like their Taste Of The NFL event in September.
If you’d like to learn more about the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, who they help, how you can get involved or how they can help you, visit their website: www.akroncantonfoodbank.org.
As always, stay tuned for more updates from the Incept Gives Board (or you can read our past blog posts here). Remember that you can always make a difference!
Image Credit: http://www.akroncantonfoodbank.org/
On Friday, May 6th, Cross International hosted its 4th Annual Hope Gala in Akron, OH. The event was another HUGE success, as more than $230,000 was raised at this year’s event!
For what was this money raised, you ask?
All the proceeds go towards the operation of schools for restavek children in Haiti. These schools provide children with an education, a daily meal (for many, their only meal) and hope for their future. Restavek children (literally meaning “stay with”) are sent away from their families – who are unable to take care of them – to work as servants for their host families. In most cases, these children are treated like slaves.
Incept’s owner Jeff White and his wife (who also happens to be Incept’s Controller), Eun White, chaired the event this year, just as they did last year. The 2010 event raised $217,000, but this year, thanks to the generosity of the Ohio community and a matching gift from The Equitas Group, we were able to beat that number!
In addition to the money raised, many Incept employees volunteered their time to help with this amazing event. From being members on the board to assisting with event setup to helping at the event, our volunteers were a large part of what made the gala so successful!
I am expecting next year’s gala to be even bigger and better… 
It’s been a busy time lately for the members of the Incept Gives Board.
Between holiday parties, shopping for the children of the Angel Tree program and preparing for the new year to come, I don’t think I’ve had time to really slow down and be thankful for what I have. On top of everything, I’ve been running around trying to get ready for the holidays, buying presents and wrapping gifts, it’s just been one big blur.
But on Tuesday, December 21st, I was given a rare chance to clear my to-do list and give back to people who deserve my thanks. I joined the Incept Gives Board, members of the Incept family, the American Red Cross Stark County Chapter and the Blue Star Mothers of North Canton in welcoming home local members of our armed forces, as they flew into the Akron-Canton Airport to spend the holidays with their families.
Our “Welcome Wagon” set up camp in the lobby of the airport with signs, banners, balloons and gifts. Each time a member of the military walked down the terminal past us, the Blue Star Mothers sprang into action. There were hugs, handshakes, cards and balloons given to every last soldier who came home that night.
Incept was on hand to provide a small token of our appreciation to those brave men and women returning home.
http://www.vimeo.com/18281088
I gained a tremendous sense of appreciation for everything our troops do, from the soldiers on the front lines in Afghanistan to the logistical troops here stateside, every one of you deserves a hug and a thank you. You are heroes in every sense of the word!
I’d like to extend an additional thank you to the fabulous people at the American Red Cross Stark County Chapter, the Volunteer and Military Family Manager there (Melissa Seibert), and the Blue Star Mothers of North Canton. Your compassion made a lasting impression on me! Thank you so much for inviting us. Of course, I’d also like to say thank you to all the members of the Incept family for making it possible for us to go participate in such a great event!
Most importantly, to all of our troops: Thank You! I hope you have a safe and happy new year!
Today, as I write this blog post, our latest Incept Employee Of the Month sits at her work booth making phone calls, like today is just another day at work.
Truthfully I think it’s that quality that makes Stephanie Smith one of my favorite people to spend time with at work. I’d like to give you a glimpse into why I think Steph is such a complete example of what we call “Living the Brand.”
Stephanie and I have had the pleasure of working closely (oftentimes referred to as Mr. & Mrs. Smith – there’s no relation) for a few years now. Over that time, I’ve had the chance to get to know her well, both professionally and personally. She is the proud mother of two brilliant daughters, Elizabeth and Samantha, who are just as much a part of the Incept family as Stephanie. In fact, they are so connected to our circle of friends that when the Incept Gives Foundation decided to take our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) shopping for 38 children who were unlikely to have Christmas this year, the girls proudly came along.
The 38 kids we shopped for were part of the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. Children from less fortunate families write their names on cards, along with their wishlist, and selfless strangers (like the amazing people we have here at Incept) offer their time and money to purchase gifts for them, in order to brighten the holidays for these kids.
While we were waiting in a long line to check out, Stephanie and her daughters told me that they actually volunteered to do the “back-end” of the shopping we were doing. This meant that Stephanie and her daughters spent a fair amount of their time (8 hours per day for a full week) organizing, sorting and packing the gifts that came in to the Salvation Army location in Massillon, OH. They made sure that all children in multi-child homes received similar numbers of gifts, so as to prevent any negative feelings and ensure a fair and merry Christmas. After organizing the gifts for each of the families, they transported them by hand to the church across the street where they added boxes of food with the gifts. They did all of this for complete strangers.
Stephanie shared this story with me, about how the experience touched her daughter Elizabeth:
“One of the kids in Elizabeth’s class at school had said to her that Santa wasn’t coming to their house that year. Instead, they were going to go get gifts from the Salvation Army. She was so touched after volunteering at the Salvation Army that she took presents she and her sister had received at a Christmas party, delivered them to the captain at the Salvation Army and asked that they be donated to kids who were less fortunate.
I was very proud of her… It wasn’t something I told her to do. She took it on all on her own. She has a very big heart.”
Stephanie also asked that I include this short message from her:
“If anyone gets the chance to volunteer down there (at the Salvation Army), it’s a great opportunity! They do so many great things for the community.”
At first, the compassion demonstrated by Stephanie and her daughters left me at a loss for words to describe how I felt. However, after watching the video of our Incept family shopping for the Angel Tree children a few times, I think I found the proper word to describe them: angels.
I’d like to share with you one more example of how our employees (like Stephanie) “Live the Brand.” While waiting to check out at that night, Stephanie and her daughters encouraged me to ask Billie Johnson, one of my fellow members on the Incept Gives board, if it would be permissible for them to purchase some additional items (with their own money) and add them to the gifts for the child for whom they were shopping. Billie’s response still rings clearly in my mind, “Tell them to put the items in the cart and to not worry about it. Then tell them there is a special place in heaven for them.”
The holidays at Incept are unlike the holidays at any other company, because we understand that in giving we receive.
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!
It’s that time of year again.
Lunch boxes are coming out of storage; bookbags are finding their way out of the back of the closet; there’s a mile-long list of supplies not yet purchased hanging on the fridge. This is the reality of many of our employees. It’s true, back-to-school time can be stressful and costly, but life just got a little easier for members of the Incept family facing the countdown to the school bell.
Before I go on, it’s important to take a look back – a look at one of our values, Present. What this means to Incept is that you have to be fully present in both your home and work lives. For a number of people, that’s no small task, especially when we reach such a busy time of year. Looking at present from a higher perspective, it just seems right that Incept should do what it can to help their employees stay present at home!
Back to the here and now, throughout the week of August 16th, Incept employees with children in grades K-12 (as well as Incept employees attending college this semester) received a welcomed surprise. Each of them took home a bag jam-packed with school supplies appropriate for the age group of their children – or, in some cases, themselves!
- Boxes upon boxes of 1-subject notebooks: $.15 each
- Pencils by the pack (a lot of packs): $.88 per pack
- Crates-worth of 24 pack crayons: $.25 a box
- A pile of rulers: $.50 each
- A mountain of filler paper: $.75 per pack
- Tons of 2-pack glue sticks: $.25 per pack
- Helping out just shy of 100 members of the Incept family: Priceless!
Incept Gives is always looking for ways to make a positive impact on the world around us. Sometimes you don’t have to look far from home. The goal was to help ease the burden of a tough time of year on our employees. Goal achieved.
Where else can you find a company culture like this?
Sunday, August 1st, was a day I can best summarize in one word: memorable. I say this because that was the day of the 2010 Incept Summer Fun Family Picnic.
When we starting talking about the idea of having a “warm month equivalent” of our Christmas party, we weren’t exactly sure what direction to go. Enter our company culture…
Step One was to decide the type of event we wanted – adult-only or a family event. We left that decision up to our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) by turning it into a poll on Facebook. After tallying the votes, it was decided that the picnic would be family event. From there on it was smooth sailing. (As a member of the planning committee, I can say from personal experience that the entire process was made easier by the feedback of our CMEs.)
Fast-forward to the day of the picnic – the food being passed out, cornhole bags getting tossed, kids coloring, and the sweet sound of supervisors falling into a dunk tank filled the air. For a dollar you could take 3 tosses at dunking the bosses! What made it special, though, was where the money was going. All of the proceeds from the picnic went into our Employee Fund, which was established with the goal of re-opening a school in Haiti.
Everything about our company culture involves compassion and generosity. The Summer Fun Family Picnic gave us a chance to enjoy the company of friends and meet the families we all talk so much about at work. More importantly, it gave us a chance to help others whose needs, we feel, are our responsibility to fill.
To our CMEs, thank you for your generosity and kindness. Thank you to the brave souls who plunged into the cold water of the dunk tank: Virginia, Kevin, Keith, Steve, Brian, Dave, & Sam. And to the children in Haiti who we are so passionate about helping, we won’t stop until we’ve met our goal. That’s a promise!
Because of everything we’ve been fortunate enough to have available to us, we set up an initiative called Incept Gives to give back hope. Jeff White, our Founder/Chief Listening Officer, has worked for years to be able to give hope to those who have none. In the process, he built a strong relationship with Cross International, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in some of the poorest places in the world.
On Friday, May 7th, Cross International hosted an event that changed my life: The 3rd Annual Hope Gala (Hope For Children). The event was a resounding success. I think Jeff put it best in a post he made on the Incept fan page on Facebook:
Jeff White: I wanted to let everyone know that the Haiti fundraising Gala held this past Friday night was a complete success. Along with matching funds from a large foundation, the event raised a total of $217,000! Incept Gives was one of the event’s primary sponsors. This means that hundreds if not thousands… of children, who live in the poorest country in the western hemisphere, will have hope for a better life because of you. Simply put, your hard work puts us in the position to provide the funds that change lives.
Words really can’t describe how proud I am of all of you.
The primary goal of the gala was to raise enough money to reopen ten schools that closed when the people/organizations that funded them walked away, leaving them without the flow of support and care vital to their survival. The result of that single night will feed and educate thousands of children in the year to come. More importantly, during one night in northeast Ohio a group of complete strangers came together for people they will never meet, resulting in those children having hope. Hope that they can have a better life. Hope that there is someone out there who cares about them. Hope that they can accomplish things beyond their wildest dreams. Hope that proves their lives have value!
As Incept Gives continues to grow and find new ways to touch the lives of others, both locally and across the world, I have found hope where I least expected it. I never realized how much of an impact I could have with such a small amount of generosity. The gala caused me to feel things I have never felt before. It moved me so much I even wrote about it on my personal blog, explaining how touched I was. But it changed my life in a more fundamental way: I’ve now got the bug… the “charity bug.” At every turn, I see new ways to help others, and I love the way that makes me feel! And I owe it all to Jeff for allowing us to get involved and transform Incept Gives into something amazing. Who knows where we will turn up next. You’ll just have to stay posted, wait and see.
