No matter where in the world you are, or how long it has been since you attended school, you can probably remember a bit of how exciting, scary, and/or intimidating the start of a new school year could be. Now imagine that you’re a school-age child without a home...a child who lives in a shelter, sleeps on someone’s couch, or even shelters under a bridge.
CATCH project coordinator Sharmaine Joyner tells the volunteers about the thousands of children who will benefit from the backpacks and school supplies.CATCH project coordinator Sharmaine Joyner tells the volunteers about the thousands of children who will benefit from the backpacks and school supplies.CATCH project coordinator Sharmaine Joyner tells the volunteers about the thousands of children who will benefit from the backpacks and school supplies.CATCH project coordinator Sharmaine Joyner tells the volunteers about the thousands of children who will benefit from the backpacks and school supplies.They saw opportunity
When looking for some sort of teambuilding opportunity for the Americas’ Inside Sales representatives, Briana Codd and Lori Casto found Project CATCH. The program, run by The Salvation Army of Wake and Lee Counties, has a goal to “ensure families experiencing homelessness in Wake County have access to a coordinated system of care that nurtures the health, well-being, and success of their child.” If you’re not familiar with the geography of North Carolina, SAS World Headquarters is in Wake County.
The CATCH program served 1700 students in the county last year. Thanks to Briana, Lori, and the many other JMP employees who donated supplies and volunteered time, even more children will start their school year with new backpacks filled with school supplies needed for their appropriate grade levels.
Donations were plentiful
JMPers learned about the CATCH mission to equip families experiencing homelessness with services to nurture the healthy growth and development of their children.JMPers learned about the CATCH mission to equip families experiencing homelessness with services to nurture the healthy growth and development of their children.JMPers learned about the CATCH mission to equip families experiencing homelessness with services to nurture the healthy growth and development of their children.JMPers learned about the CATCH mission to equip families experiencing homelessness with services to nurture the healthy growth and development of their children.
Lori Casto’s office looked like a school’s supply closet after Cary-area employees started bringing in donations in June. Sales representatives and marketers joined together to fill the non-profit’s wish list that included glue sticks and pencil sharpeners, binders and highlighters, pencil boxes and more. Many boxes were filled with supplies that later filled backpacks for the students in need.
JMPers gave their time too
In July, JMPers spent a couple of hot afternoons filling school backpacks – maybe as many as 1,000 -- with donated supplies. Sharmaine Joyner, Project CATCH Coordinator for The Salvation Army, guided JMP’s sales and marketing staffers as they sorted, counted and organized the supplies that were then put into the backpacks for elementary-, middle-, and high-school students.
JMPers from sales and marketing worked together a couple of days this week. Next week, there is likely to be more opportunity if additional employees want to donate supplies or participate in filling backpacks.JMPers from sales and marketing worked together a couple of days this week. Next week, there is likely to be more opportunity if additional employees want to donate supplies or participate in filling backpacks.JMPers from sales and marketing worked together a couple of days this week. Next week, there is likely to be more opportunity if additional employees want to donate supplies or participate in filling backpacks.JMPers from sales and marketing worked together a couple of days this week. Next week, there is likely to be more opportunity if additional employees want to donate supplies or participate in filling backpacks.More opportunities to come
Project coordinator Sharmaine Joyner told the volunteers that there is still time to fill more backpacks before they will be distributed to the students. In fact, if you live near the SAS Cary offices, you will have a chance to help out in the coming days and weeks. Interested? Reach out to Inside Sales Manager Briana Codd. And if you’d like to learn about the CATCH program, you can read more here.
If you don’t live near Cary but are also contributing to the well-being of students, let us know about your volunteer efforts. Use the comment sections below to tell us about the projects that fill your heart and meet the needs of students in your communities.
Thank you @Diana_Levey for such a wonderful article! It was a great way to give back and utilize our volunteer hours as a team! I would be happy to help anyone interested in donating additional supplies or packing backpacks with the info needed.
What a great article highlighting JMP employees making a positive impact in the local community! Thanks for sharing.
I love to see so many JMP employees making a difference!! Incredible impact for our local community!
This was such a great way to give back to the community, and I'm glad to have been a part of it.
Thanks for sharing! So proud to work with people with a big heart and make a difference to the community.
