November 29, 2015
For the second year in a row, Mindsight shared in the spirit of the Thanksgiving Season by hosting our charity initiative, the Hunger Games. Last year, Mindsight employees raised a staggering 2,600 pounds of food in only a month. This time around, Mindsight wanted to expand the initiative beyond a simple food drive. Fighting this issue takes more than just donations, and we wanted the Hunger Games to reflect that challenge.
The entire Mindsight staff was divided into four teams and given a bingo card filled with activities and objectives aimed at addressing the hunger issues facing America.
Mindsight Hunger Games’ Goals
The goal of the 2nd Annual Hunger Games initiative was threefold: Volunteer at charitable organizations, donate food, and educate our staff about hunger in the United States. Mindsight took a diversified strategy to expose our company to the issue and spur change in our perceptions and our actions.
Volunteering
In Chicago, there are hundreds of charitable organizations devoting their precious time and resources to helping those who need it. While they do amazing work fighting hunger in America, many of them remain largely unknown. Through Mindsight’s volunteer efforts over the course of the Hunger Games, we wanted to not only lend a hand in their efforts, but also to educate our staff on the amazing work these organizations do every day.
“It was an honor to help, if only for a few hours, such a great organization in their goal to solve hunger in Northern Illinois.”
— Mindsight Account Manager
Donations
A staple of charitable giving is the act of donation, and these donations occupied a major component of the Hunger Games. We identified several organizations in Chicago to donate food to and set a modest, yet significant, quantity for each team.
“It makes me very proud to work for a company with so many individuals who are willing to donate their time, talents, and energy to help out those in need.”
— Mindsight Account Manager
Education
Finally, the Hunger Games sought to educate our team about the realities of hunger in America. Volunteering and donations are both extremely important in this fight, but education is what drives change. A key goal of the Hunger Games was to teach our team about the complexities of hunger issues and raise awareness of those organizations fighting it. We accomplished this through the volunteer efforts outlined above as well as by watching documentaries, playing online educational games, and visiting community gardens throughout Chicago.
“I enjoyed learning about the massive scope of the hunger problem in Chicago and how [The Greater Chicago Food Depository] is playing a big role in trying to help the hungry.”
— Mindsight Vice President of Operations
Let the Games Begin!
To meet these three goals and fill out their bingo cards, Mindsight employees set to work throughout the Chicago area.
Volunteer:
- Greater Chicago Food Depository
- Wheaton Food Pantry
- Franciscan Outreach Food Kitchen
- Historic Wagner Farm
- Northern Illinois Food Bank
Donate:
- Played Freerice.com and for each correct answer, the World Food Programme donated 10 grains of rice
- Brought in healthy boxed cereals and canned goods
- Brought food donations to Studio Movie Grill for their food drive
- Participated in the Union Station Food Drive
- Provided food-insecure families with a Thanksgiving dinner through donations to the People’s Resource Center
Educate:
- Watched A Place at the Table documentary and share information among the company
- Shared hunger statistics from last year’s Hunger Games with new employees
- Played the Hungry to Get By online game, learned about hunger in America, and shared the information with fellow employees
- Visited community gardens
Learn More about Mindsight’s Hunger Games and Check out Our Slideshare
Below is a Slideshare presentation on Mindsight’s involvement in the fight against hunger. Take a look and see how big of a difference one company can make.
Mindsight’s 2nd Annual Hunger Games from Justine Kope
About Mindsight
Mindsight, a Chicago IT consultancy and services provider, is an extension of your team. Our culture is built on transparency and trust, and our team is made up of extraordinary people – the kinds of people you would hire. We’ve always prided ourselves in delivering the full spectrum of IT services and solutions, from design and implementation to support and management. Our highly-certified engineers and process-oriented excellence have certainly been key to our success. But what really sets us apart is our straightforward and honest approach to every conversation, whether it is for a local business or global enterprise. Our customers rely on our thought leadership, responsiveness, and dedication to solving their toughest technology challenges.