Jason Corry, Director, Human Resources in Westlake, TX
Let me start this by saying we’ve learned a lot about ourselves in 2020. Whether it’s patiently making our way through a global pandemic, fighting for social justice, or something else entirely, we’ve all been stretched in one way or another this year.
Feeling the pangs of this stretching, and acknowledging the stress that we were all feeling, the Fidelity Westlake HR Community decided to channel some pent-up energy and perform a collective act of service. Making that decision was easy, finding the right opportunity in an environment that mandated social distancing was a completely different story.
We knew that we wanted to help children and we knew that we wanted to support those in marginalized communities across the DFW area, but we didn’t know how to find such an opportunity. That’s where Fidelity Cares comes in.
What initially seemed like a daunting challenge, partnering with Fidelity Cares made the whole process easy. Through Fidelity Cares, Fidelity’s group that organizes and facilitates volunteer opportunities for associates, we were able to connect with a Dallas-based organization called Big Thought, who‘s mission fit perfectly with our service criteria.
I must admit, Big Thought’s tag line inspired me. It reads: “We unlock creative potential so all youth can realize their inner greatness.” From the first time I read that tagline I knew that we had the opportunity to do something meaningful – dare I say, great.
The ask from Big Thought surprised me at first. They were supporting kids that were feeling the same stressors we all were but didn’t have the tools to manage that stress. As a result, Big Thought asked the Westlake HR Community to make stress balls covered with inspiring messages.
With that as our call to action, during the week of September 14, our community was able to build over 200 stress balls for the kids Big Thought supports. While we don’t know the impact that we’ve made on the kids yet, we know the impact this small act of service had on us.
Katie Burwell, a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant, summed up how many of us felt when she said, “We often get so consumed with being home all day and away from others that it’s easy to feel disconnected and alone. Creating these stress balls helped me feel connected to our community and these children. It was such a good cause.”
It’s worth noting that many of us involved our families in the service. Mike Donohue, a Senior Learning Designer, mentioned that: “My wife is kindergarten homeschooling my son this year because of the pandemic (along with two of his neighborhood friends), and she was able to use this opportunity as both an arts and crafts lesson and a discussion on why serving the community is so important.”
My favorite comment on the far-reaching impact that this service had, came from Sophia Ortega, Senior Executive Assistant. “My daughter and I had a good time making the stress balls. Something I learned is how easily kindness spreads. After we were done making the stress balls, my daughter noticed we had leftover supplies and she asked if we could make some for her friends to help with their stress. Once we finished those, she remembered a teacher who is recuperating from a hand injury and asked to make one for her because she remembered seeing her squeezing something as part of her rehab. Here we are about a week later and we have set off a chain reaction of little helpful/kindness crafts in her grade. Next up for us is painted kindness and positivity rocks!”
Sophia’s daughter making stress balls for Big Thought and her friends/teachers.
It was such a privilege for me to be part of this activity and I’m so grateful for the help of Fidelity Cares that made it all possible. I walk away from this service activity proud to be a part of Fidelity, still inspired by Big Thought’s tagline, and with a new appreciation for one of my favorite quotes: “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
