SEATTLE (Oct. 22, 2021) – After a COVID-19-induced hiatus last year, Unico once again hosted its annual All Hands Day. More than 175 volunteers across six cities and five states participated in the day of service aimed at helping the communities Unico calls home.
Organized by the company’s employee-led Community Giving Committee, All Hands Day began in 2018 as a company-wide effort to support causes near and dear to Unico employees. Since its inception, Unico employees have volunteered more than 3,600 hours through the program. This year, employees identified and volunteered with nonprofit organizations in Seattle, Tacoma, Nashville, Denver, Salt Lake City and Portland. Further supporting these causes, Unico donated $1,500 to each organization.
“All Hands Day couldn’t have been more important than it was this year,” said Courtney Jolicoeur, CFO of Unico and longtime advocate for the company’s community giving vision. “After the unimaginable challenges our communities have faced over the past 18 months, there’s a growing need among our cherished nonprofit partners and a growing desire to make a positive impact from our passionate employee base. I’m inspired by what we were able to accomplish across our markets in just one day. Equally inspiring for our team, this was an incredible opportunity to reconnect and be reminded of our values and culture after so much time spent apart.”
Washington team digs in
Unico employees from Seattle served eight different nonprofits, engaging in a variety of activities from mucking horse stalls at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center to purchasing and packaging supplies for Mary’s Place, a shelter and services provider for women, children and families experiencing homelessness. Some even exercised their green thumbs by performing various gardening tasks at Farmer Frog and Oxbow Farm, both of which provide agricultural education and nutrition services to the Seattle area.
Others got to work prepping and packaging 700 meals at Lifelong, an organization that stands up for communities facing illness and injustice. Unico’s collective time, presence and energy at Lifelong resulted in a total of 35 volunteer hours and 675 clients served.
“Everyone deserves the chance to live their healthiest life, but that vision is out of reach for far too many people. For nearly 40 years, Lifelong has fought for marginalized communities with relentless compassion—because no one should have to battle stigma, judgment, or the devastating effects of illness alone,” said Jeremy Orbe, Corporate Engagement Specialist at Lifelong. “We are so grateful to Unico Properties for partnering with Lifelong for their All Hands Day in Seattle and their commitment to our mission of providing health equity for all.”
In Tacoma, volunteers assembled packets for the Children’s Museum of Tacoma and Mary Bridge Brigade, a local organization that offers families access to thoughtful, play-based activities. Children are in greater need of this kind of service than ever, having gone through two trying school years in which engagement was difficult and connection was basically nonexistent.
Colorado C.U.R.E.s
Our Denver and Boulder teams worked together sorting and stocking medical supplies and completing small facility projects for Project C.U.R.E., which distributes donated medical equipment and supplies to resource-limited communities around the world. Project C.U.R.E. is a Denver-based organization with seven locations across the U.S. that serve 135 countries. The organization pivoted in 2020 to support the need for personal protective equipment following the COVID-19 outbreak.
Unico Nashville staffs the ReStore
In Nashville, Unico employees spent the day working at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which sells gently used items at discounted rates. The team organized and stocked shelves and helped customers locate and purchase their items. In a time when many people are dealing with job loss or struggling to make ends meet, the ability to access more affordable household furnishings and other necessities has never been more important.
Salt Lake City pushes back on hunger
The Salt Lake City Unico team spent All Hands Day volunteering with the Utah Food Bank, sorting food donations for distribution to people dealing with hunger in the Salt Lake City area. Like most food banks across the country, the Utah Food Bank scaled up its efforts in 2020 to meet the challenge posed by COVID-19. The COVID-19 response included an expansion of the mobile pantry program, kids’ café meal distributions and a significant increase in food distribution through partner agencies statewide.
Portland team makes good neighbors
In Portland, Unico employees worked with two different local nonprofits to address community needs around food, education, clothing and senior care. Volunteering with Neighborhood House and Sunshine Division, the Portland team prepared food boxes, organized a food pantry and completed gardening tasks in support of both of these nonprofits and their missions.
Across each market, Unico employees showed up to make a difference in others’ lives and the company remains committed to creating a positive impact in the communities it serves.