CENTAURI CARES HUNGER ACTION MONTH SPECIAL EDITION Our first corporate-wide Centauri Cares initiative is in the books – and what a wonderful success it was! Associates from all our offices supported September’s Hunger Action Month by donating time at their community food banks. See our impressive numbers in the sidebar feature at the bottom right! We realize many of our teleworkers supported Hunger Action Month in their communities, too. If you did, please send photos and details to centauricommunications@centaurihs. com. We will highlight in next month’s Scoop.
Check out all the dates when our associates were supporting office-wide Hunger Action Month activities!
By supporting Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks, our Centauri efforts helped Feeding America beat its September nationwide goal: 40,000 actions to help hungry families! #EveryActionCounts #HungerActionMonth Centauri Cares Winter Park Ambassador Monica Lyn shared this James Beard quote she saw at their local food bank, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Thanks to all of you for expanding our common ground.
A total of
135 associates participated in our Hunger
Action Month activities!
SCOTTSDALE OFFICE A dozen Scottsdale associates volunteered at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, an organization they support throughout the year. Our group assembled 540 food boxes for area seniors! (Pictured to the left: Back row – Andrea Arlen, Morghyn Green-Howard, Jackie Nebbia, Brenda South and Chrisy Blevins. Front row – Sol Guerrero, Jennifer Hopkins, Rolena Romero, Yesenia Farias, Sheena Perkins, Andrea Rosello and Tomara King)
Teleworker Jennifer Hopkins joined the Scottsdale team in volunteering after being so positively impacted by her experience volunteering at the same food bank with the Phoenix office team earlier in the week!
Jennifer Hopkins and Rolena Romero Rolena showing team spirit!
Jackie Nebbia, Sheena Perkins, Yesenia Andrea Rosello and Sol Guerrero Farias and Chrisy Blevins
CLEVELAND OFFICE The main event that Cleveland associates took part in during September was a volunteer evening at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Our team was tasked with pushing carts of donated produce to recipients’ vehicles. More than 1,000 people in need showed up, so they often had to park a long distance from the building. Our team members had the opportunity to walk and talk with the residents while helping them to their cars.
Back row: Tiffany Henderson, Lena Palmer, Theresa Pope, Elizabeth Nazario, Brook Ali, Tiffany Myles, Layah Lyons, RaJohnique Williams Front row: Arsamkthan Pathan, Mandy Stine, Destiny Pina, Debra Harris and Anna Westfall
Theresa Pope
Mandy Stine
MANDY STINE’S THOUGHTS “I had the chance to chat with so many and to learn about their day and pieces of their lives. I learned about broken refrigerators and broken toilets, deceased spouses, church families, children and grandchildren, and about gratitude. Each person was grateful and expressed that gratefulness. It broke my heart and warmed it all at the same time. One woman told me I was the friendliest face she had encountered in weeks and thanked ME for that. I admit, I had to take a short break after that to dry up the tears.”
KANSAS CITY OFFICE Kansas City associates are becoming familiar faces at Harvester’s, the local food bank. A group volunteered in June and returned again in September to support Hunger Action Month. Our KC team sorted and packed vegetables for distribution. The small, but mighty group managed to complete three pallets in just under two hours!
Funny aside from Becky Wuerfele: “I found out that when 50 pounds of carrots spoil/rot, it looks like marshmallow fluff. And while we have great quality control with our volunteer group, it’s pretty hard to tell if a husk of corn is good.”
Rebecca Wuerfele, Denise Barnes, Matt Wood and Phinita Holman
LANSING OFFICE
Kim Norman, Scott Johnson, Candace Cowan, Robyn Murray, Jenni Moore, Sandee DeVries and Beth Cowles
Four separate teams from the Lansing office did 2-hour shifts at the Greater Lansing Food Bank in the month of September.
“I enjoyed the ability to connect with associates I don’t normally work with or interact with on a personal level. We shared stories about different volunteer events we’ve attended, families, former jobs and silly stories.” – Mike Kwolek
Our Lansing team’s job was to move meat donated from area grocery stores and warehouse stores (Sam’s, Costco) into special containers (meant to maximize the food bank’s freezer space). Our associates said they were amazed at the volume of meat donated!
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(Group photo to left: Maureen Weber, Cindy Hall, Deb Ordiway, Ellen Tolley, Mike Kwolek, Pat Olson, Greg Braaten kneeling in front)
her experience it
x Maureen Weber, Mike Kwolek, Cindy Hall and Greg Braaten
Sign at food bank that our associates appreciated
par
es
M Ellen Tolley and Deb Ordiway
Beth Cowles, Jenni Moore and Robyn Our team hard at work Murray
NASHVILLE OFFICE The Nashville office turned out in full force to support the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Our Nashville team processed 8,400 pounds of food, which translates into 7,000 meals for local residents in need!
Of course, the IT team created a video of their volunteer event! Check it out:
(L to R): Corey Collins, Jason Franks, Mark Koivula, Donald Halsted, Brent Doolittle, Michael Vlk, Joe Vesneski, Michael Wu, Chris Shannon, Shiela Their, Zach Parris, Michelle Miller, Shawnda Tierman, Julie Goldberg, Candis Sanders, Brittany Hicks, Eric Cobbs, Jeff Franks and Jeff Stephens.
Candis Sanders with CTO Michelle Miller.
The team hard at work.
Left photo: Brittany Hicks in the foreground. Middle photo: Brent Doolittle. Right photo: Corey Collins.
https://vi meo.com/ 36263924 1
PHOENIX OFFICE CEO Adam Miller joined more than 20 Phoenix associates in volunteering at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. Our Phoenix team packed emergency food boxes for area residents in urgent need. St. Mary’s distributes an incredible 1.5 million meals each week in the Phoenix community! Kelly Bauer joins CEO Adam Miller
Wendy and Monica Resendez – colleagues and sisters!
Shelley McCarroll
Adam with other volunteers
WINTER PARK OFFICE Nearly two dozen Winter Park associates volunteered at the Second Harvest agency. Look at that army of blue Centauri t-shirts in the photo below! Our team focused its efforts on the Donation Sorting department – and sorted 4,532 pounds of meat. That will provide 3,777 meals in the Winter Park community!
Back Row- Gary Marshall, Nadine Wigley, Aimee Jones, Emmanuela Padilla, Nifisha Walker, Teraquisha Thompson, Elizabeth Valentin, Jacqueline Batiz, Janeishka Crosby, Magda Carrasquillo, Sengsouriya Vongmany, Marileidy Ramos, Ketzy Villanueva, Raajignacio Hubnarine, Ivinie Moreno. Front Row- Sean Battle, Markel Turner, Jordan Murray, Ashley Chanley, Brian Ramos, Lisvet Martinez, Francisco Pabon.
Marileidy Ramos and Ketzy Villanueva
Janeishka Crosby, Danny (Second Harvest Lead) and Francisco Pabon
Monica Lyn, Ketzy Villanueva and Marileidy Ramos
CENTAURI CARES CORE TEAM EXECUTIVE SPONSORS: Jeff Jackson and Jimmy Griffin TEAM MEMBERS: Alicia Burton, Lisa Perry, Todd Rogers, Susan Christopher The Executive Sponsors represent the leadership team’s support of the program and the importance of volunteering to the company. The team members work with our Centauri Cares ambassadors to more deeply embed volunteering in our corporate DNA. CENTAURI CARES CORE TEAM PROFIILE Todd Rogers found his volunteering passion through the company’s volunteer benefit. He says having the eight hours available to try out different opportunities was crucial in finding a match that worked for him. WHAT MOST EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE NEW CENTAURI CARES PROGRAM? I am excited about the program creating a framework that will grow and thrive with our growing company. Our new program will strive to remove boundaries for people to volunteer.
TODD ROGERS TITLE: Application Development Manager OFFICE: Cleveland YEARS WITH COMPANY: 9
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TELL US ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER PROJECT YOU LAUNCHED AT THE CLEVELAND OFFICE. I have been leading the Rust Belt Community Garden next to the Cleveland Office for five years. The total size of the lot is one acre! We are using about ¼ acre for the garden. We get plants and seeds for free from the OSU Extension Office. With the wonderful support of fellow Centauri associates, we plant and maintain the garden. This garden provides produce to anyone who wants it.
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FAVORITE EXAMPLE/MEMORY OF THAT PROJECT: When a co-worker asked me, ‘Hey Todd, did you know people come out in the evening and pick produce from the garden?’ I was thrilled! We tend the garden, but rarely do we get to see where the vegetables go. The whole point of the garden was for people to come outside with their neighbors and get fresh produce. Now, it was finally starting to fulfill that dream.
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HOW HAS VOLUNTEERING AND THIS PROJECT IMPACTED YOUR LIFE? This project has made me feel more connected to the community. I am aware of the struggles and triumphs of the community I work in that I would have never known otherwise.
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HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE ASSOCIATES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR VOLUNTEER BENEFIT? If you currently have a volunteer passion, use your 8 hours on that project. If you have not found a volunteer cause yet that feels right to you, don’t give up! Try different things. Find something that that gives you joy and meaning.
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ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? There are so many wonderful volunteer projects led by Centauri associates. Whenever I learn of a new one, it fills me with pride to work with such a caring group of people.
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CENTAURI CARES AMBASSADORS A reminder that our ambassadors are your main contact for everything related to Centauri Cares in your office! SCOTTSDALE: Leicy Nece, Tomara King NASHVILLE: Jason Franks CLEVELAND: Alicia Burton, Lisa Perry LANSING: Sandee DeVries KANSAS CITY: Anna Krekow PHOENIX: Kelly Bauer WINTER PARK: Monica Lyn CENTAURI CARES AMBASSADOR PROFILE WHAT IS YOUR VOLUNTEER MANTRA/QUOTE/BEST PIECE OF ADVICE? “One of the greatest gifts you can give to someone is your time.”
KELLY BAUER TITLE: Business Support Services Manager OFFICE: Phoenix YEARS WITH COMPANY: 5
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FAVORITE VOLUNTEER PROJECT YOUR OFFICE PARTICIPATES IN: I love that our office regularly hosts blood drives because it’s one of the most incredible ways to impact someone’s life.
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FAVORITE EXAMPLE/MEMORY OF THAT PROJECT: I’ve been donating for 10+ years and have witnessed family and friends benefit from blood donation, either during their cancer treatments or following emergency situations (surgeries/accidents). One of my favorite memories was having a co-worker come up and thank me for being an active donor. She received a transfusion during cancer treatment and, while she may not have benefited directly from my donation, it was a wonderful reminder of why I choose to donate regularly.
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WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL VOLUNTEER “PASSION” AND WHY? I really enjoy volunteer opportunities that allow me to work with children and young adults because I think it’s the perfect time to demonstrate kindness, compassion and the difference we can make in the world. I’ve worked with foster children and victims of domestic violence who’ve endured so much; being able to provide a positive interaction really makes me feel proud to volunteer.
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HOW COULD YOU ENCOURAGE ASSOCIATES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR VOLUNTEER BENEFIT? A lot of times people shy away from volunteering because there’s vulnerability in not knowing people or feeling out of place. We’ve created such a welcoming culture here that I can assure you, you’re never alone. Invite a co-worker and join in the next event!
CENTAURI CARES AMBASSADOR PROFILE HOW HAS VOLUNTEERING IMPACTED YOUR LIFE? It’s permission to set aside my life for a minute and focus on something/someone else.
ANNA KREKOW TITLE: Office Manager
Volunteering never fails to teach me something OFFICE: Kansas City about my life. I find a new understanding, a new perspective with each volunteer moment. And YEARS WITH COMPANY: 9 when I resume my life, I find myself thinking differently, more expansively. I learn to be better at being me. • FAVORITE VOLUNTEER PROJECT YOUR OFFICE PARTICIPATES IN: The Children’s Place Backpack/Snack Pack program. •
FAVORITE EXAMPLE/MEMORY OF THAT PROJECT: A few years ago, we made a trip to deliver the food to The Children’s Place. We pushed carts loaded with everything from fruit roll-ups to juice boxes to cans of SpaghettiOs from our car to the reception area, passing little kids as we did. Their faces were amazing. Their eyes lit up at the sight of the carts moving the food into the building. I think it looked like a moving grocery store – I am not sure. But seeing their smiles was an unexpected reward. Even though I don’t make the deliveries anymore, I imagine those faces when we send our donations over.
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WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL VOLUNTEER “PASSION” AND WHY? Alzheimer’s research. Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease that hurts everyone it touches. Every December, I sing with friends at a few homes for those living with Alzheimer’s…We dress in festive attire and sing the traditional songs…Every single time, a resident breaks free of their dementia and is right there with us, in the moment. They look at their family and smile. Or they get up and dance. A sleeping resident sings in their sleep. To be able to help them connect with a memory or a person for even one minute, is priceless.
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WHAT MOST EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE NEW CENTAURI CARES PROGRAM? I am most excited about everyone doing what matters to them, in their neighborhood, and then sharing it with us. What will we discover through the eyes of other associates? How will we become more compassionate? And what will that mean in our own communities?
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WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH AS AN AMBASSADOR? I hope to help facilitate sharing of ideas, causes and the opportunity to give back to the community. To encourage people to be more than they thought they could be.
UPCOMING OFFICE-WIDE VOLUNTEER EVENTS
OCTOBER v 7-25 – Cleveland office Walls of Love collection v 26 – Scottsdale and Winter Park offices will both have teams at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in their communities v 30 – Cleveland Rust Belt community garden Fall clean-up NOVEMBER v 2 – Scottsdale office team at MS Walk