As we celebrate the “Season of Giving,” it’s easy to forget what an impact a simple gift can have. A gift can put a smile on someone’s face when they’re having a hard day, or show someone they’re cared for when they’re unsure. Children of all ages plan for months what gifts they will ask for when December comes around. A two-wheel bike or a new baby doll can be found on many lists, but sometimes a list is as simple as just “a toy.” For many children, simply receiving a gift is special as it isn’t guaranteed.
Coming Together As An Organization
BlueGrace recognizes this need each year and works together as an organization to provide gifts to children across the country. “These children aren’t asking for much-just one or two toys to be under the tree on Christmas morning,” Jessica Gonzalez, audit team specialist in the Tampa office and Bags of Joy team captain says. “Giving $10 instead of spending it on coffee can mean the difference between a child receiving and not receiving a toy for the holidays.”
Giving $10 instead of spending it on coffee can mean the difference between a child receiving and not receiving a toy for the holidays.
BlueGrace Richmond Partners With Salvation Army
BlueGrace Richmond partnered with their local Salvation Army this year for their “Angel Tree” program. The Angel Tree program provides more than 2,000 children with toys annually. As an office, they collected and donated 45 toys, which will be gifted to the children in the Virginia area. Sheron Roane, a Customer Service Representative and culture ambassador in the Richmond office, felt this truly reminded their office what the holidays are about. “It’s so easy to get caught up in the holiday parties and craziness of the season. For some children, these toys we donated are the only ones they will receive this year.”
BlueGrace Tampa Partners With Metropolitan Ministries
BlueGrace Tampa partnered again with Metropolitan Ministries for their Bags of Joy drive. “We have 20,000 children we would like to provide 1-2 toys for this year,” Alison Matherly, associate director of corporate partnerships for Metropolitan Ministries explains. “That’s 40,000 toys, which is no easy task.”
The Tampa office held fundraising events all week to raise money, including gift wrapping for donations and a holiday-themed relay race complete with reindeer onesies and ornament races. When all was said and done, 179 toys were donated as well as $200 in online donations. Samantha Downing, Campus Recruiter in the Tampa office, explains the drive to potential employees by saying, “It’s such a great opportunity to be able to give back to the community and really live up to our first core value of ‘Be Caring of All Others.’”
BlueGrace Baltimore Adopts A Family
The BlueGrace Baltimore office adopted a family through Perry Hall Elementary School for another year. This year’s family was a single mom with an 8-year-old special needs daughter and a 6-year-old son. The family received several gifts and outfits for each child, as well as a Walmart gift card for their mom. In addition to gifts, employees provided a full Christmas ham dinner with delicious sides for the family to enjoy.
BlueGrace Chicago Supports Military Families
Lastly, BlueGrace Chicago supported military families by donating to the “Toys for Tots 4×4 parade.” They were able to donate $500 worth of toys to the well-known organization as well as attend the parade to show their support. Abby Palumbo, a Sales Representative and culture ambassador in the Chicago office organized the event. “Many of these military children are celebrating the holidays here while one or both of their parents serve our country overseas or away,” Abby observes. “If we can put a smile on their face, even just for the day, it’s worth it.”
Holiday Magic
So many are in need of just a few minutes or hours of magic this holiday season and if a toy or gift can provide that for a child and their parents, BlueGrace is happy to continue their efforts for another year.