Upcoming Events

by Becky P. in Flower Mound, TX

We have a number of really exciting events coming up over the next couple of months so I thought I would post a quick update.

First, Ivie will be serving as a Corporate Chair for the 2011 Big D Climb, which raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This event isn't your everyday 5k - it's a 52-flight climb to the top of the Fountain Place building in Dallas. We are putting together a committee of associates to help come up with ways to promote this amazing event and ideas for the day of the event as well. Last year we had over 30 associates participate and everyone was incredibly touched by both the comraderie of it as well as the physical demands. The feeling of making it to the top was unlike any other!

Another event we've added at the last minute is to celebrate National Day of Service & Remembrance on September 11th. We will be holding a drive in Flower Mound to collect paper goods for Christian Community Action, a local organization that provides food, shelter and training for families in need. They have a constant shortage of key products like bathroom tissue, facial tissue and paper towels - basic items that most of us take for granted - so we hope to provide a good supply to restock their shelves for a while. We also have a group that will be volunteering at their facility on Saturday 9/11. Anyone interested can send an email to IvieCares@ivieinc.com.

We are also in the process of creating an Ivie Cookbook. Recipes are being submitted by associates all over the country and will be pulled together to create a nicely bound book. We will be selling these books to raise money for the Family Resources Domestic Shelter in Davenport, IA where one of our main offices is located. Look out for more information on how to purchase one of these books. So far we have some great recipes coming in.

We have several more items in the works that we will post about next week so stay tuned.

Making a Difference with Junior Achievement

Recently, several Associates used volunteer release time from the Ivie Cares program to teach Junior Achievement classes in local schools. Junior Achievement provides professionals the resources to help children learn about important skills necessary to competing in a global economy (you can learn more about their Dallas chapter here: http://www.jadallas.org/). Lesson topics include how to save money, be a good citizen, and how to do well in a job interview. We asked some of the partcipants to share their experiences with us. Their comments are below.

“I’ve had a great time with our class. They really want to know about the working world and they ask a lot of really great questions. Our teacher has been great with chiming in when she has something to say and we’ve had very little behavioral problems even thought they are 9th graders. Great experience overall.”
-Rachel Bradford

“Travis and I are kicking ignorance’s butt with on-topic advice for the 1th graders. Yesterday was our first session, and it went well. Travis got them some treats we put in Ivie cups, and they enjoyed all of the materials (especially when we “rapped” about them).”
-Chris Ray

“I will miss those little guys. They were so sweet. On my last day they all wrote thank you notes and drew pictures, which are so cute! This was a very fun, rewarding experience. The kids are so eager when you show up and they’re grateful for all the little things JA provided for them. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves kids and is looking for a fun way to volunteer. I look forward to doing this again in the fall!”
-Sabrina Warren

Helping Out With Earth Day

by Katie Turk

On Saturday, April 17th, Katie Turk and Emily Huston braved a chilly spring morning to participate in the Friends of the Riverfront Earth Day cleanup event. A portion of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, north of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River, was beautified by over 400 volunteers. The group pulled weeds and invasive species, cut down and collected dead branches, planted flower bulbs, and spread mulch and gravel. All the volunteers had a great time. Despite the cold, everyone did their part, and the trail looks great!

Racing for the Cure, Rain or Shine

by Emily S. in Ivie Bentonville

It’s 7 a.m. on a Saturday. Outside, it’s a mishmash of ominous clouds, pouring rain, thunder and lightning. You wake up, thinking the obvious: It’s a great day for a 5K!

Despite the dreadful weather the morning of April 24, several members of the Ivie Bentonville team and their families showed up to run the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Luckily, the rain died down before the race began, so Team Ivie was able to finish the race along with about 5,000 other brave participants. Approximately 16,000 signed up, which made reaching a goal of $1 million in donations possible.

The race is the Komen Foundation’s signature event that helps raise awareness and funds for breast cancer education, screening, treatment and research. We hope to take part again next year (with any luck, in better weather)!

Pictured above:
Front row, from left: Fabian Lagunes, Aaron Schmid, Emily Schmid, Shelby Harrison, Sara Prince and Morgan Prince.
Back row, from left: Sarah Terry, Drew Terry, Carol Baserman, Kurt Baserman and Marquetta Thompson.

My Eye Opening Experience

by Becky Pearce

I helped to start the Ivie community service program almost 3 years ago now and have had the pleasure of being heavily involved ever since. Lately, I've found myself feeling disconnected from our efforts. Often we are raising money without actively being involved with the organization and the people (or animals) our donations are helping. Although, I fully realize that money is what these organizations often need the most, I also think it's important for people to connect with the organizations they support so they truly understand the needs of others.

Today I had the pleasure of touring a local organization called Christian Community Action (CCA). CCA supports 8 school districts throughout the county our main offices reside in. I've been familiar with CCA since I first moved to Texas 10 years ago. They are the place we ALWAYS take our donations to - much like Goodwill. What I learned today was truly eye opening though. They are so much more than that donation station I drop by a couple of times a year.

First of all, CCA provides not only a re-sale store but also food, shelter, education, training and spiritual guidance for families throughout the area we live in. We live in a nice area. Flower Mound is generally considered a town of mid to high income residents, but what we don't realize is the impact the economy has had on those who live right around us. This has created a tremendous need for the services that CCA provides. A need they are struggling to keep up with.

The woman who gave us the tour today mentioned that it is no longer predominantly the working poor who need their services, but people like us who have been affected by the bad economy over the last couple of years. People with college diplomas and MBAs and solid work experience. People who'd managed to build their lives into what would be considered the "American dream."

Our friends, family and neighbors have lost their jobs and are desperately trying to hang on to their homes despite having lost everything else. CCA helps these people to pay their bills, to feed their families and to receive medical care. Plus, provides education and training to help people become self-sufficient again. They provide supplies for kids to go back to school, toys for their parents to put under the tree at Christmas, and during the summer they even provide lunches for kids who might otherwise not eat.

And they do all of this with only the money from their re-sale stores and donations from people like us, plus the tremendous hours that countless volunteers are putting in.

I try to remind myself often of how lucky I am to have what I do and try not to take it for granted. But walking through that lobby with my designer bag on my shoulder was like a punch in the gut. Especially after hearing that $25 feeds a family of four for a month!

At Ivie, we are busy making plans for how we can help CCA both through donations as well as volunteering. Personally, I'm also looking for an opportunity to take my 8 year old son to volunteer with them as well. Much like me, he does charity fundraisers at school, but ultimately he has no idea what that means or where the money is going. I'm hoping we can remedy that.

What can you do to make a bigger impact on the lives of those in need?

Photo: Courtesy of helgabj, www.flickr.com/photos/helgabj/1074000287/