People everywhere are grappling with the way COVID-19 has affected daily life. With limitations on gathering, many schools and companies operating remotely and most medical facilities on a tight lockdown, it can be challenging to find ways to give back to interact with the community. However, as fear and anxiety have spread, so have good deeds. Companies around the globe are finding ways to give back to their communities, lending support to those who need it most during this time.
For over ten years, Eloquest Healthcare has put an emphasis on giving back to the community. It is something we do as an organized team, and also something we encourage our employees to do as individuals in their communities. For example, Eloquest Healthcare has a strong partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities (© RMHC).
Helping a sick child fight their illness takes a big enough emotional toll on a family. Adding a financial strain can make it all almost too much to bear. RMHC can help address those problems, whether they involve housing that’s near a hospitalized child, the expense of staying together in another city, or even getting basic medical and dental care in a vulnerable community.
RMHC has local Chapters in more than 64 countries and regions. In normal times our home office volunteers at our local RMHC in Detroit, Michigan, and our territory managers have been able to build relationships and volunteer with their local chapters throughout the country as well.
While the pandemic presented some challenges to our existing partnership with RMHC, our leadership team was excited to discover Cheeriodicals®, a Birmingham, Alabama-based online gift company founded in 2011 by Birmingham attorney, Mary Martha Parisher.
Cheeriodicals saw the demand for gifts to hospitalized children, but realized that too many children wouldn’t receive a Cheeriodical due to the financial constraints of their family. It was there they built the corporate team building activity where corporate sponsors could bring their teams together and construct hundreds of Cheeriodicals under their supervision. Teams with as few as a dozen to as many as 1,000+ can come together to do work that changes lives, making a measurable difference for hospitalized children. Imagine every single child in a hospital or charity getting their own big green box of cheer!
Cheeriodicals then pivoted to offer virtual options when the pandemic struck. During our most recent and virtual national sales meeting, the entire Eloquest team was able to individually assemble Cheeriodical bags for children and families staying at a RMHC facility. Each bag held special toys for the children, hand-drawn puzzles, special notes of encouragement and comforting items needed for a long stay. The items for each bag were delivered to every Eloquest employee, and after assembly, the bags were mailed to two local RMHC facilities chosen by Eloquest employees.
While virtual team-building and charitable initiatives may seem daunting at first, Cheeriodicals made the process seamless and enjoyable from start to finish. Our team is better for having been able to give back to a cause that is so important to us.
As human beings, we are at our best when we are caring for one another. Giving back can benefit your health by making you feel happier and reducing your stress levels. Helping others is also important right now as we unify within our communities to face the COVID-19 crisis head on.
