Over the years, Concurrency has always participated in Holiday Outreach events. Donations and Drives for food pantries, Toys for Tots and some very personal “near and dear” to our hearts causes have happened during this most wonderful time of the year! Throughout this year, and moving forward, Concurrency wants to be the Hands and Feet in our communities, meaning that we will continue to be the “hands” by giving financially, but also being the “Feet” where we “GO” out into our communities and participate, because Together We Can Be the Change!
When Hurricane Harvey hit, Concurrency, along with family and friends, were the change. We started a fund to help support The Greater Houston Community Foundation. Employees gave financially and Concurrency matched that total donation! GHCF gives 100% of the donations to their relief efforts. Victims of the hurricane devastation were given aid with housing and shelter, food, supplies, healthcare and many other relief efforts. What a great way to make an impact across our nation.
Each of Concurrency’s office locations individually participated in a planned Holiday Outreach event. Our Chicago location kicked off the change on October 7, 2017 by participating in the Feed My Starving Children food packing event. This is an organization that feeds malnourished children world-wide. Our group of twenty-eight employees and families gathered together on a Saturday afternoon to pack these very specific nutrient and ingredient packed meals. In two hours, they were able to feed one-hundred and twenty-two children for one year! Together we were the change globally.
Our Minnesota team joined in on becoming the change on October 26, 2017! Employees and families participated in a Feed My Starving Children food packing event also. They packed 9,504 meals in two hours. Our team of eight packed enough food to feed twenty-six children for one year! It was a great team bonding experience and fun was had by all. They made an impact all the way around the world!
Our Wisconsin office continued being the change right on the streets of Milwaukee. We had an amazing time serving at the Friedens Community Ministries Street Life Program! On Saturday, November 4, 2017 twenty-nine co-workers and their families joined together to serve the hungry and the homeless outside at an empty parking lot in Milwaukee. It was a cold rainy day, so what better to serve than chili! We were able to feed 80 people living on the streets that weekend with 11 crock pots of chili - with all the fixings, hot dogs, chips, crackers, cookies and juice boxes. We also had a small team that volunteered to go back to the Despensa de la Paz food pantry to feed 50 more there! No chili was left! 130 bellies filled! It was great to see everyone engaging and having fun conversations. There were smiles all around. One person was quoted saying, “I felt like not only did we make a difference for the community members we served, we came together with our individual families and built team spirit and comradery within our larger Concurrency family”. I'm sure inspiring conversations were had in people’s homes that evening. I heard it was the highlight of some people's weekend. Together we were the change in our own backyards.
During our Orientation at Friedens, one man said that although we were making a difference, we had to remember to “get outside of ourselves”, because we would take away something as much as the people we were feeding. Many people really enjoyed the events, loved working side-by-side with their families, and bonding with their co-workers, but more than anything that they were a part of something bigger than themselves. The change was globally, nationally and in our very own communities. Although our company Holiday outreach events have wrapped up, our mission of Together We Can Be the Change will continue into the New Year.