Katrina Stiebs, our Chief People Officer, helped shape this tradition. “Penrod has grown and changed since we first started this tradition, but what hasn’t changed is our eagerness to give back to our communities. We were so happy to be able to support them in this small way! Of course, there’s also the added bonus of reliving your childhood dreams as you shop the toy aisle.”
Indeed, a lot has changed since we started our Giving Tree tradition— namely, this year and the state of, well, everything. As the world turned virtual in 2020, so did many giving opportunities; this is the first year in which all our employees from all over the states were able to send packages for the Giving Tree. And it was truly magical.
In past years I’ve always enjoyed watching the tags disappear from the tree and the gifts start piling up. This year was different (no tree and a closed office) but it still felt amazing to have the shared experience of supporting the Children’s Hospital as a distributed team,” said Katrina.
And pile up, the gifts did.
Though none of us are together in person, virtually building a pile of Christmas cheer was a great way to connect, serve, and practice our value of teamwork. We strive toward stellar internal teamwork, but we also desire inclusivity far beyond our internal reach.
“We work to build authentic relationships with our community partners. Working together to support Children’s through our Giving Tree year after year is such a special way to live that value.”
And that’s what the season is about anyway, isn’t it? Coming together and giving back. As we close the book on 2020 (*major sigh*), we’re already looking forward to opening up a new chapter for 2021: more connection, more selflessness, more working together to create more good.
Happy holidays and our warmest Penrod wishes!