Marx|Okubo's Southeast Region Gives Back

Nov 28, 2023

With the season of giving in full swing, recently the Southeast Region coordinated and participated in efforts to give back to the community in its important "Day of Giving." Through Marx|Okubo's supportive volunteer program, The M|O Effect, our employees can choose to take time off to volunteer in activities that enhance and serve the communities in which we live and work. The intention of this program is to create community engagement opportunities for our employees that are purposeful and help those in need.

On November 13th, members from all of Marx|Okubo's Southeast offices volunteered at multiple local charity organizations. 36 volunteers provided a combined number of 127 hours of charity work.

In Atlanta, our volunteers contributed to the non-profit organization, St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. Focusing on hunger, housing, and health, St. Vincent de Paul Georgia meets basic needs, removes barriers to stability, and creates paths to self-sufficiency through direct services, education, and empowerment to provide help and hope to neighbors in need in Georgia. Our volunteers helped organize a food pantry and clothing store for those in need.

Two of our Texas offices participated in very different and significant outings.

--In Houston, our staff volunteered at the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. Our volunteers all donated blood at various blood banks. Our team experienced how simple-but-profound a way this is to make a big difference in someone’s life.

--Our volunteers in Austin contributed to the Texas Central Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas. Our volunteers helped prepare 400 meals for the Boys and Girls Club. This entailed preparing yogurt, pineapples, and carrots in individual trays for each child--our team members cut the pineapples, placed portions in each tray, and sealed all meals.

In St. Louis, we worked at the nursing home, Mary Ryder Home, a place that focuses on meeting the physical and mental health needs of older adult women. Marx|Okubo's volunteers provided company by playing games and doing other activities with senior women navigating mental illness.

Our Nashville team opted to get together and donate blood at a local blood drive at the Red Cross Blood Donation. They each made a “whole blood” donation, which is about a pint, and each donation can save up to three lives.

In Florida, our team participated at charities in several cities.

--In Miami, our staff volunteered at the Chapman Homeless Shelter, a non-profit that provides comprehensive programs and services in collaboration with others that empower our residents with dignity and respect to overcome homelessness and achieve and maintain long-term self-sufficiency. Our staff helped serve and provide lunch at a homeless shelter.

--We volunteered in Tallahassee at the Second Harvest of the Big Bend, a food bank serving 16 counties in the Big Bend region of Northwest Florida. Our volunteers sorted through frozen meats and dry foods in preparation to deliver them throughout the community.

--In Orlando, we contributed to United Against Poverty, a non-profit whose mission is to serve those in poverty by providing crisis care, case management, transformative education, food and household subsidy, employment training and active referrals to other collaborative social service providers. Our volunteers helped stock shelves at the food bank, Community Market Place.

--Our team members in Tampa contributed to Feeding Tampa Bay, a food rescue and distribution organization serving West Central Florida, as our staff assisted with food pantry stocking and serving lunch to those in need.

Our volunteers were amazed at the total impact they could achieve together. By volunteering for just a day, they were able to create a profound impact by helping so many people. In the process, these opportunities bring such significant engagement with others and as teams, as well as enrichment, inspirations, gratitude, and the feeling of completing a goal--while these mutually beneficial partnerships bring significant value to organizations as well as health benefits to volunteers.