Maya Angelou said, “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” We have countless heroes here at DISCO, as our outreach and community engagement efforts continued at full speed over the summer.
The Power of Intention #1 - Start-Up Kids Club
One of the goals of DISCO Cares is to empower the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. For the second semester in a row, we partnered with Start-Up Kids Club in Austin, whose mission is to unlock the capacity and possibility inside every child. They host a student run market four times a year as well as mentorship programs each semester.
This semester, we committed to a 14-week mentorship program at Cedar Creek Elementary to help these students learn the concepts around building a business. Our DISCO mentors assist a class of 16 students ranging from 1st to 3rd grade from inception of a business idea all the way through to execution of the product or service they showcase and sell at the Start-Up Kids Club Market..
“Volunteering with Start-Up Kids Club inspired me on many levels. Watching the minds of children evolve through deductive reasoning, brainstorming and other problem solving skills, reminds me that sometimes strategy can be simple. It's a lesson we could all be reminded of... simple strategies can still have a big impact and I can’t wait to see their ideas come to life!” - Cara-Ann Powers, DISCO Account Executive
The Power of Intention #2 - The Ronald McDonald House
Every other month, DISCO Cares brings a group of new hires to The Ronald McDonald House. Affectionately known as the “The House,” our team keeps the house clean and in tip-top shape for those families staying there while their loved ones are in the hospital.
"We are truly grateful to companies like DISCO that allow their employees to volunteer during the work day. Recently, DISCO employees visited the House and cleaned our hallways, common areas and playroom. We appreciate their help in keeping the House neat and tidy for the families." - Rene Carlin, Volunteer Manager
The Power of Intention #3 - Explore Austin
This quarter, we again donated gently used MacBooks to Explore Austin.
Explore Austin uses long-term mentorship, leadership and outdoor adventures to transform the lives of underprivileged youth. To learn more about our partnership with Explore Austin, please read our The Power of Impact blog.
The Power of Intention #4 - Habitat for Humanity
As we continue to grow and build our company, we also build for the community. Seventeen DISCO volunteers across seven different departments spent a Saturday roofing, installing siding, and fitting windows for a family in Taylor, TX. This was our first of many projects with our partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
“We are so grateful for all of the hard work done by an energetic group from DISCO on our new home build in Taylor. It always amazes me that there are so many dedicated volunteers out there willing to spend their Saturdays helping to build a better a better future for families in need of a decent place to call home. Thank you, DISCO!” - Patrick Peck, construction coordinator with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County
The Power of Intention #5 - Central Texas Food Bank
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When we relocated our headquarters last year to Austin, one of our first DISCO Cares events was at the Central Texas Food Bank. Last year, DISCO employees boxed more than 20,000 meals — and this year, we wanted to do more.
In August, a team of 30 DISCO volunteers spent the morning inspecting, sorting and boxing 7,054 frozen meals.
We also borrowed a DipJar from the food bank to facilitate donations for Hunger Action Month in September. With the DipJar in place and remote employees donating online (and a generous matching donation from our leadership team), we were able to provide 23,372 meals, bringing our total to more than 30,000 meals in this past quarter (an increase of 50% over last year!).
“The Central Texas Food Bank is thrilled to work with DISCO and DISCO Cares, who have exploded onto the scene at the Food Bank with an amazing level of enthusiasm. We are grateful to DISCO team members who have shared their time, talent and treasure to make an impact in the fight against hunger. Their first initiatives with the Food Bank, a volunteer day and employee-driven donation campaign, set the bar high by raising more than 30,000 needed meals for our neighbors in need. We can’t wait to see what this great group will do next!” - Amelia Long, Community Engagement Director
The Power of Intention #6 - The Fisher House
The Founder’s Day Barbecue at the Fisher House is an annual event with an attendance of 1,200 people that celebrates military and veteran families. The Fisher House contacted us for help, and our team mobilized.
The Founder's Day Barbecue was extremely successful in large part to the wonderful efforts of the DISCO volunteers. They were everywhere, hanging decorations, setting the tables and jumping into help everyone who looked like they needed help. They helped with stage setup, loading ice and drinks, slicing the brisket, carrying food trays, interacting with the residents, etc. We, the Fisher House Volunteers and Management, truly appreciated all they did. Thank you DISCO! - Jackie Schlatter, Lead Deco Gal Volunteer at the Fisher House
The Power of Intention #7 - Beyond Texas
As our company continues to grow, so does our DISCO Cares impact. This past quarter, we extended our reach outside of Texas to Phoenix and Chicago.
In July, we partnered with the Arizona Paralegal Association to support Maggie’s Place and their Back to School event. Maggie’s Place provides life-changing programs and services for pregnant and parenting women and their children by offering a warm and welcoming community, a safe place to live and learn, and ongoing services to help them become self-sufficient.
DISCO and the Arizona Paralegals Association provided 106 children affiliated with Maggie’s Place with backpacks filled with school supplies and a new pair of shoes.
In August, we also partnered with the Law Firm, McDermott, Will & Emery in Chicago to support Swim Across America. Swim Across America is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention, and treatment. Our Chicago-based DISCO team volunteered at the charity swim across Lake Michigan.
We are so appreciative of the extremely generous donation of 120 pairs of shoes that helped low income families and put smiles on the faces of moms and their children. We are also appreciative for Buck, Chris and Taylor for not only traveling to be at the event, but also for jumping in to assist with set up, helping with distribution, events and games, chatting with our residents and cleaning up. Thank you SO MUCH!!! We look forward to a continued partnership with DISCO, because your company has truly showed it CARES! - Frank S. Hale, Chief Development Officer at Maggie's Place
DISCO Cares is going above and beyond…
Change doesn’t happen without intention, commitment, and a dedicated team. We are beyond proud of what we have accomplished together with DISCO Cares and how it has truly permeated the company to create a culture of caring. We can’t wait to share our plans and new partnerships for the final part of 2019.
