"To do more for the world than the world does for you – that is success," Henry Ford once said.
We strive to embody that idea every day by helping our client partners improve their organizations and their patients' experiences. We also strive to give back to the communities that have contributed to our success. That sentiment could be found at the heart of Nordic's fifth annual Community Giveback Week, which took place last week. Highlighting the week were events across our hometown of Madison and six more regional sites across the country, three more than 2016.
This year over 150 team members volunteered to serve 361 hours for 11 organizations. Here's a recap of the week that was. Scroll down past the video for more details and pictures from the great organizations we were fortunate to work with last week.
The week kicked off in Madison when Winnie Karanja addressed the home office. She's the founder and executive director of Maydm. Maydm focuses on equipping girls and students of color with the technical skills and experiences to become innovators and technology leaders. Culinary Creations catered the luncheon. Culinary Creations Catering offers meaningful employment in foodservice to individuals who have experienced significant barriers to employment, providing both work experience and development opportunities, which give individuals the experience they need to advance their culinary careers.
Madison
To show their gratitude, Nordic team members created cards for Badger Honor Flight, a regional affiliate of the national Honor Flight Network. The purpose of the Honor Flight Network is to ensure that WWII and terminally ill veterans from any war have the opportunity to see the memorials that have been erected in their honor. The Honor Flight Network provides all amenities to the veterans, including all transportation, meals, and lodging.
At Center for Families, we weeded and mulched the playground and garden. Center for Families partners with parents in their efforts to nurture, protect, and teach their children. They're working toward a community where families have access to resources to be successful, resilient, competent, and confident for generations to come.
Partnering with Oakwood Village University Woods retirement community, two groups of Nordic teammates volunteered to mulch and garden with residents and then take wheelchair-bound residents on an afternoon conservancy walk. Oakwood serves generations of aging adults, encouraging individuality, worth, and well-being throughout life. It aspires to promote the highest level of independence for a diverse community of older adults.
Volunteering at Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, team members helped sort and package food. Second Harvest is a hunger-relief charity organization whose goal is to make sure everyone in southwestern Wisconsin has enough of the right kinds of food to live a happy and healthy life.
At the YWCA in downtown Madison, Nordic team members prepared and served lunch to the shelter and apartment residents. YWCA Madison is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, support families, and strengthen communities. It's part of the national YWCA movement, one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.
Boston
For the second year in a row, Hale Barnard House hosted us for an evening of bingo, karaoke, and crafts. Hale Barnard provides residential and supportive services for seniors. The programs offer an alternative to institutional care — a homelike place when "home" is no longer possible. Its goal is to enhance all aspects of living in the later years by offering meaningful choices, social, intellectual, and spiritual stimulation and by honoring individual worth in the collective environment.
Chicago
Nordic team members joined residents of Breakthrough for games and socializing once again. Breakthrough serves the residents of Chicago's East Garfield Park. Breakthrough fosters the development of the community by building healthy relationship networks, growing the skills of men, women, and children, and promoting the transfer of wisdom to the younger generation.
Los Angeles
At The Midnight Mission, Nordic team members played games and read with children while their mothers were in a training program. Afterwards, we joined the residents for a cookout.
The Midnight Mission offers paths to self-sufficiency to men, women and children who have lost direction. It removes obstacles and provides the accountability and structure that people who are experiencing homelessness need to be productive in their communities.
New York City
Partnering with Behind the Book, we accompanied Brooklyn public school students on a field trip to the Brooklyn Navy Yards and visited the studio of children's author/illustrator Thyra Heder, who wrote "The Bear Report," a book the students read. Behind the Book seeks to inspire New York City public school students to love reading by bringing accomplished authors and their books into classrooms and creating rich, innovative literacy programs. Their programs take place in underserved public schools, are part of the class curricula, and meet the Common Core Learning Standards.
San Francisco
For the first time, Nordic's Giveback Week efforts extended to San Francisco this year as we provided and enjoyed a meal with the residents of Ronald McDonald House of San Francisco. Ronald McDonald House provides a safe haven for critically ill children and their families.
Seattle
We volunteered at West Seattle Food Bank to help with a variety of tasks. West Seattle Food Bank is committed to providing food security and community connections to our neighbors in need. It envisions a strong and connected community in which all people have access to safe and nutritious food and the essential necessities of living.
