Creating community connections

It can be easy for global organizations to lose sight of their responsibilities to the local communities surrounding local offices or headquarters. But with access to green and public spaces and ending hunger for all central elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals it’s clear that the modis.com actions of businesses towards its local communities can take the world a step closer towards achieving these ambitions.

Tyson Gray, Managing Director - Workforce Management and IT Services at the Modis office in San Diego, California organized his team to give back to his local community through a clean-up initiative at a local ocean beach. “We live in San Diego and have the luxury of being near the ocean” he says, “but with not a lot of people and organizations getting out to do things like cleaning up the beaches during the coronavirus pandemic they have recently received a lot of neglect. So we took it upon ourselves to go out and pick up a lot of garbage and waste along the pedestrian paths.”

Since their activities under the Modis Gives Back banner Tyson and his team have become passionate advocates for the benefits of local volunteering, not only for the pride but also because of the connections it enabled his team to make with members of the community. “We came across people out walking [when at the ocean]” and it really “felt like they would liked to have joined us or would do so at a later time.” Such were the feelings of pride and community felt within Tyson’s team that securing future opportunities is high up the team’s agenda.

Building strong teams

The benefits of volunteering have also been recognised and felt by Modis teams themselves. Cheri Gereaux, Managing Director at Modis in Michigan, and her team used their Modis Gives Back contribution for helping at the Kids Food Basket, an organization providing children at or near poverty level in West Michigan with evening meals.

“Coming together as a Modis team was very enjoyable for the camaraderie, the teamwork and the fact that we were helping out a great organization and and these struggling families. Each year as a team we come together to serve an organization that helps our local community. We enjoy the teambuilding and are happy to help serve people in need.”

This is also echoed by the experience of Antonin Jadoul, Modis Head of Eastern Canada – Prime business whose team felt both “a good boost of well-being” and a boost “for team bonding as well” while cleaning up litter at the park local to their Modis office.

Providing perspective

For Antonin, the benefits from giving back and helping others also helps Modis and its employees to gain perspective and new energy. “At the end of the day Modis Gives Back is all about doing something different from what you do on a daily basis.”

“It’s good for whoever you are going to decide to work with and it also puts things back into perspective. Taking a minute to give back to people that need it way more than we do is something that we should all participate in.”

Discover more about Modis Gives Back and the Modis approach to sustainability and social responsibility.