Company News and Culture / December 20, 2016 / By Erin Martin

'Tis The Season

Its that time of year again! Holiday season rolls around and the usual shopping hustle and bustle begins. Everyone starts making their list, and checking it twice. It sometimes can be difficult to remember however, that this is also the time for giving back.
Pushing through Q4 while planning for the holidays can be a tedious venture in and of itself. Its essential that we also stop to think about the things we are thankful for as well, but where do we find the time? That being said there are so many opportunities during this time of year to donate, volunteer, or find some way to give back and be charitable. The real issue is just finding the time to do so.
Here at Mixpo we have a strong culture with generous employees. When the weather is nicer we participate in Trail Maintenance and other various activities to get out of the office and give back to our community. This holiday season, in order to save everyone a little time we found ways for folks to give back while being in the office.
During the month of November we had the opportunity for employees to participate in No-Shave November, benefiting cancer awareness. This was a great way to raise money for a good cause and also a fun way to see some of the gentleman in the office rock a different look. We took progressive pictures throughout the month and then the staff was able to vote at the end for our No Shave winner.

We also had an employee who suggested we run a donation box for SHARE/WHEEL (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort/Women’s Housing Equality and Enhancement League). Donations rolled in and at the end of the month we had a very large box of supplies we were able to donate to the organization. They were beyond grateful, since this cold and rainy season can be particularly hard on the homeless population here in Seattle and supplies go fast. It was also encouraging to support an organization close to one of our employees.

Now that we have come into December, we have launched the annual Toy Drive we participate in through Compass Health. These gifts go to children who have mental health challenges or are potentially in foster care and have siblings with mental health issues. Within an hour or two, almost all 60 children on our list were spoken for and the gifts have been piling up in our office!

Its truly amazing to see what our employees can do around such great causes. I hear it so often, “I wish I had time to volunteer” or “I’d love to find ways to give back to my community”. Being a part of setting up these opportunities is such an honor, but its also heartwarming to see how creative and caring my colleagues can be even when they are heads down during the busy season! I personally am grateful for each and every employee here at Mixpo.