LAVIDGE IMPACT Employees Find Ways to Serve While Working from Home

LAVIDGE IMPACT Employees Find Ways to Serve While Working from Home

PHOENIX (April 20, 2020) - LAVIDGE IMPACT, now in its second year, has already established a history of successful group events to improve lives in the communities we serve, with a special focus on children and animals.

The Phoenix advertising agency’s employee volunteer group, however, isn’t reserved solely for agency-wide activities and, in fact, encourages LAVIDGIANs to give back whenever and however they see fit. This vision is not lost on agency employees who often step up to do just that.

Such was the case in April for at least two agency employees who did so during Arizona’s Stay-at-Home guidelines, which led to agency leadership temporarily reassigning everyone to work from home.

Caleb Preus, a Data Analyst with LAVIDGE, carried on his personal tradition of raising money each year for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Typically, this has meant participating in the organization’s annual walk with others.

This year, however, Preus did the walk with Buddy, his 5-year-old mixed breed terrier, when the fundraiser was changed to a virtual walk.

“I’ll still go out this Saturday, wearing my LAVIDGE IMPACT shirt, of course!” Preus said in a post on an internal message board in early April.

Preus added that he was teaming up with a former LAVIDGE employee who now works at JDRF, provided a link to his own journey with diabetes and encouraged colleagues to donate.

Laurie Schnebly, a Senior Copywriter with LAVIDGE, also found a way to give back during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Ever since a bunch of us from LAVIDGE worked at the Harvest Compassion food and clothing bank a few years ago, I’ve continued volunteering at their new location,” Schnebly said. 

In 2017, LAVIDGE reached out to help the Harvest Compassion Center by making it the beneficiary of its Let's Treat Phoenix campaign. The holiday giving-back program partnered with four top local bakeries to donate treats to Harvest Compassion based on client engagement with @letstreatphx on Instagram.

More recently, Schnebly gave up a bit of her personal time to continue offering hands-on help at the center.

“It’s the only volunteer site on my list that’s stayed open during the pandemic, although now only one guest at a time is allowed in," Schnebly said.

Schnebly, who serves on the LAVIDGE IMPACT committee, noted that the non-profit agency is still accepting donations of canned food, boxed food like pasta/cake mix/etc., and packaged goods like bottled water/diapers/etc., from those able and willing to donate.

On taking the initiative to give back without an organized event, Schnebly said it was her pleasure.

“It’s nice getting to work directly with people who benefit from the service, but it’ll be even nicer when we can welcome more than one at a time!”