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At the heart of Cydcor’s culture is the tenet of “people helping people.” Cydcor stands behind this idea by fostering a work environment that promotes both personal and corporate philanthropy and by offering team members a paid volunteer day each year to serve a cause that matters to them. Our service mindset is grounded in the concept of servant leadership, which focuses on empowering and developing our people, building a better company, and giving back to the community.
One example of how we’ve put this mindset into practice is Cydcor’s Philanthropy Club, founded by team members to provide employees with corporate philanthropy and volunteering opportunities throughout the year. Here are just some of the ways Cydcor’s Philanthropy Club has made a meaningful impact on the community in 2019:
March: Pizza Sale — Liberty Children’s Home
Liberty Children’s Home is a sanctuary in Belize that offers a safe, loving environment to more than 40 abused, abandoned, and neglected children — some with special needs or suffering from HIV or AIDS. At a Leaders Meeting in March, team members sold Costco pizza with all proceeds donated to Liberty to support learning, activities, medical care, facility improvements, and basic needs like electricity, clothes, and food.
April: Crayfish Removal
Team members partnered with Mountains Restoration Trust to help preserve and protect the streams and creeks of the Malibu Creek Watershed by removing invasive, non-native crayfish. Harmful to the ecosystem of the Santa Monica Mountains, crayfish prey on native species, reduce water quality, and worsen creek bed erosion. Prior to our arrival, scientists set more than 100 traps along a stream bed in Oak Park. Cydcor volunteers removed crayfish caught in these traps and cleaned up trash along the banks. Additionally, they measured the size of caught crayfish to help record and collect data.
May: Special Olympics Regional Spring Games
Special Olympics of Southern California provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Philanthropy Club participants volunteered at the Ventura County Special Olympics Spring Games held at Oaks Christian Highschool, featuring swimming and flag football competitions. Responsibilities included coaching, time keeping, score keeping, and cheering in the stands to show Cydcor spirit and support for local athletes.
June: Heal the Bay
For 35 years, Heal the Bay has been mobilizing communities across Los Angeles to protect the California coastline, restore waterways, and advocate smart water policies. Cydcor volunteers gave time at a monthly Heal the Bay event to pick up trash along a Santa Monica beach. After a full morning of cleanup, the team enjoyed a group lunch in Venice, a popular beachfront community.
July: Learn Earn Return
Learn Earn Return is a nonprofit organization focused on providing students and teachers with the necessary school supplies for a successful school year. Team members collected and donated items that might otherwise have been a heavy financial burden to students and their families, such as backpacks, composition notebooks, wide-ruled paper, glut sticks, scissors, rulers, and more.
September: Operation Blankets of Love
The Philanthropy Club held a volunteer event for Operation Blankets of Love, a leading animal welfare and emergency relief nonprofit organization that provides food and critical supplies for more than 12,000 animals a year in shelters, in rescue groups, and with pet owners experiencing homelessness or another hardship. Cydcor volunteers collected blankets, towels, toys, and other badly needed pet supplies donated during the event.
September: Pet Adoptions
Team members partnered with L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue, a nonprofit organization that rescues homeless or abandoned dogs and cats and places them in permanent, responsible, and loving homes. Cydcor volunteers supported L.I.F.E.’s weekly animal adoption event at a local PetSmart to help pets find their forever home.
October: Alzheimer’s 5K
Team members joined their local Walk to End Alzheimer’s® 5K, an Alzheimer Association event held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. Participants walking in the Westlake Village, California 5K surpassed their goal of $500 by raising $1,788. Cydcor matched donations of $500.
November: EARTHS Thanksgiving Food Drive
Cydcor volunteers supported the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive of the Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences (EARTHS) Magnet School in Newbury Park, California. Individual and department donations provided holiday favorites, canned food staples, and grocery gift cards to help 100 local families in need enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.
The contributions of Cydcor’s Philanthropy Club show the positive difference that employee-driven corporate philanthropy and volunteering can make on our schools, neighborhoods, and charities. Through community service, our team members embody Cydcor’s culture of “people helping people” by uniting behind a shared purpose, collaborating to overcome challenges and accomplish goals, and serving causes that matter.
The holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on what really matters and strengthen bonds with not only family and friends, but also the people with whom you work closely every day. In the spirit of people helping people, why not celebrate the season by giving back to your community and building camaraderie on your team? Forgoing the office holiday party or secret Santa gift exchange to spend the time helping others instead, is a great way to bring your team together, promote problem solving, and foster team bonding. Nothing is more energizing and motivating than uniting behind a worthy cause, collaborating on solutions, and making a positive difference — together.
Here are five rewarding holiday team building activities to help your team give back, get closer, and have fun!
1. Celebrate the holidays with seniors.
According to the Institute for Family Studies, more than 60 percent of seniors in nursing homes don’t have visitors and experience loneliness that can intensify during the holidays. Bring a sense of family and friendship to seniors who may be alone this season by volunteering at a local nursing home or hosting a holiday event for residents. Many senior care facilities also organize and plan activities for the holidays, inviting families, volunteers and the community to share food, fun and festivities.
2. Bring cheer to hospitalized kids with heartfelt holiday cards.
Many children battling serious illnesses remain in hospital care for a long time, making this time of year especially difficult for these young patients and their families. For an inspiring team building activity, plan and organize holiday card and care package donations for your local children’s hospital, or send handmade cards with an uplifting message of hope to brighten their rooms and their spirits while they recover. Set up a design station in the company break room where team members can create and decorate their customized holiday greetings.
3. Give a gift to a child in need.
Spread holiday joy to children in vulnerable communities through the gift of a new toy. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is one of the best-known charities that has been collecting and distributing toys to America’s disadvantaged children since 1947. Instead of a holiday party, build a holiday themed team building activity around a Toys for Tots event at your office, become a toy drop-off site, or volunteer at a local warehouse. Connect with your local Toys for Tots program or another organization in your community to donate holiday gifts to children in need. Don’t forget to think about the larger, world-wide community as well. Consider running a toy drive event for one of the thousands of shelters or orphanages supporting children in need around the globe.
4. Volunteer together for a local cause.
Use a service like VolunteerMatch to find great ideas for local organizations and causes your team can support as part of your next holiday team building activity. Whether you volunteer at a local food bank to serve holiday meals, donate time and goods to a homeless shelter, or support an organization like Baby2Baby to provide basic necessities to children living in poverty — giving back as a team creates opportunities to bond with each other and make a real impact on your community.
5. Lend a hand to a local animal shelter.
Don’t forget to show our furry friends some love during the holidays. Give back to a local animal shelter or a service like Pets of the Homeless by hosting a donation drive to collect much-needed pet food and supplies. To take your support to the next level, partner with a shelter or rescue organization to organize a local pet adoption event in your community. Your team can also spend time volunteering together at a local shelter to help orphan pets find their forever home this holiday season.
Whether you stage a food drive, volunteer with the local fire department, help rebuild a local small business after a disaster or participate in any of other community activities on this list, working together for a greater purpose is at the heart of building a strong corporate culture. Finding meaningful ways to give back during the holidays promotes team building by boosting engagement, fostering collaboration and rallying people around a common cause. It also brings our culture and values to life by demonstrating our dedication to serving others and making a positive difference in the communities where we live and work.
By Dwight Coates, Chief Information Officer | Cydcor
Building a department’s strategy, holding meetings, and orchestrating the delivery of technology to our business are not the only ways people can build leadership skills. In fact, one of the most effective ways for team members to learn critical leadership skills is by helping others. There is a myriad of benefits to volunteering. Volunteering takes team members out of their everyday routines and out of the office environment. It shakes up typical work groups, team structure, and processes and it challenges team members to think differently, look to each other for input and guidance, and unite behind a shared purpose. While volunteering, team members aren’t focused on getting ahead; they are focused on completing tasks, overcoming obstacles, and accomplishing goals—which is exactly why community service projects are such powerful teaching experiences.
1.Volunteers Connect with the Whys of Life: While serving others or working on behalf of the environment, volunteering can remind team members of their own values and help them reflect on the things that are most important to them. This process helps build more empathetic future leaders, and encourages team members to engage their hearts, not just their minds, in their work. It also helps team members see the bigger picture, to realize that thier work can have an impact far beyond any single project.
2. Enables Networking: Volunteering can have an equalizing effect, mixing high-level executives with employees fresh out of college. These volunteer activities give employees the opportunity to break out of their typical work circles and meet people from whom they may be able to learn valuable leadership skills or who may be able to offer support to help them grow their careers. While volunteering, team members often form lasting friendships and partnerships.
3. Teaches the Importance of Having a Vision: When teams volunteer, they unite behind a shared vision and commit, as a team, to shared goals. Because the stakes are often so high, it is easy to create alignment within the team, and team members can see how that level of alignment can pay off in the form of rapid results. When people band together behind ideas and trust in a single vision, it is astounding how much they can accomplish, and this experience can translate back to how a team works together on behalf of company goals as well.
4.Volunteer Work Energizes: When employees are stressed, doing work that benefits others, the community, or the planet releases endorphins and lifts spirits better than any sports game or team wine night. Volunteering reinvigorates overworked employees, reignites their passion for their work, repairs bonds between team members, and makes them more efficient and productive by challenging them to solve new kinds of problems and follow different processes.
5.Trains Great Mentors: As volunteers, team members benefit by offering guidance and support to each other in different ways than they might as part of their everyday role.Volunteer work gives team members a voice who may not always have one, and allows them to step up and show leadership skills and benefits they can offer the team that may not be as easy to recognize while at the office.
6.Exposes Employees to Other Cultures and Other Ways of Working: While volunteering, teams may have to follow new systems or processes than they do as part of their daily work, and this helps to challenge their thinking and adaptability. Team members are sometimes also asked to work with people who come from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds, and this helps team members learn new skills and improve their abilities to bridge communication gaps and relate to others regardless of differences.
7. Fosters Collaboration: Volunteering encourages partnerships between those who may not normally work together. While participating in philanthropy projects with my teams, I often intentionally assign employees to tasks that force them to work alongside team members they’re not used to working with to help bridge those communication gaps and force employees to break through barriers to find solutions together.
Besides the leadership skills volunteering imparts, spending time helping others can change the way team members feel about their work. Employees want to work for organizations that stand for something, and showing a dedication to service may help to improve employees’ outlook on the company as a whole, which may support team member retention. An additional benefit of volunteering includes strengthened bonds between team members, helping them to function better as a team and produce better results. Community service and philanthropy, beyond their clear benefit to the community, are invaluable team member development experiences that no department head should overlook as you strive to help your people be their best.
Dwight Coates, Chief Information Officer, Cydcor
Dwight Coates is the technology driver for Cydcor’s customer relationship management solutions. With more than two decades of leadership experience, Dwight has had the opportunity to see, first-hand the impact community service activities can have on IT and other professional teams as they work together to achieve outstanding results.
People seek ways to make differences in their community – even at work. They want to work for companies that make a positive impact. Providing charity and volunteering opportunities to team members benefits employers as well by boosting employee engagement. Companies that offer volunteering experience are able to recruit top talent, retain employees longer, and create an environment of collaboration in the work place.
Company sponsored corporate philanthropy and corporate giving programs also offer benefits to the employees themselves. These volunteering opportunities help employees master new skills, prepare to take on greater responsibility, and contribute to the community beyond the office walls. By committing to a cause, companies can provide valuable services to the community while strengthening and uniting their workforce.
Here are seven valuable lessons employees learn from community service:
Service projects are growth opportunities for employees, because they teach valuable lessons and skills employees can apply to their daily work. Volunteer activities unite teams around causes that are important to them and the community. Employer-sponsored volunteer work helps assure them that the work they do serves a greater purpose. Committing to a cause by donating money or time simultaneously benefits communities, companies, and the employees who work there. Companies who sponsor volunteer opportunities also boost their bottom line by building a workforce that is building new skills, happier, and more engaged.
On March 8th, 2017, a team of eight volunteers, including top fundraisers from our network of independent sales offices, as well as a Cydcor team member, returned home from their life-changing medical volunteer trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. There, they worked alongside a dedicated Operation Smile team of volunteers for an adventure they will never forget. While on the mission, volunteers Amanda Tram, Ben Gouwens, David Espinal, Donny Boyer, Melissa White, Mouad Alami, Sandra Tejada, and Yesi Andrade assisted the Operation Smile medical team by attending patient screenings, escorting patients to their surgeries, entertaining children and their families as they wait for their procedures, and reuniting families with their children post-op.
While these much-needed surgeries can transform the lives of children who may not have been able to eat or speak properly prior to having the procedure, or who do not attend school for of fear of being teased, participating in the medical missions and witnessing children’s emotional journeys can often have a profound effect on the volunteers as well.
“There is one moment of the volunteer trip that will be etched in my mind forever. Alejandra, the little girl we fell in love with, had a pretty severe cleft lip and was very aware of how she looked, despite being an extremely happy child. When she came out of surgery, I used my phone to show her what she looked like. She stared at herself for a couple seconds as if she didn’t recognize herself, until she gave the sweetest smile I have ever seen. My heart melted. The trajectory of her life at that moment was changed forever!” said Melissa White.
“I am impressed by the courage and strength these kids have. I was very touched by Paulina, an 11-year-old who traveled with her brother from far away in hopes of getting the surgery that would restore her smile. I can't imagine everything going through Paulina's head; first time out of her village, seeing a big city for the first time, not being able to understand anyone but her brother. The most incredible moment was seeing her look at herself for the first time. She was in shock, almost confused. A few minutes later, you could see tears rolling down her cheeks. I could not stop crying, I will remember that moment forever,” shared Cydcor team member Yesi Andrade.
In addition to our corporate volunteer program, Cydcor has been partnering with Operation Smile on fundraising initiatives since 2010. Cydcor holds an annual Day of Smiles event, along with many other fundraising events throughout the year, to help provide free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for children from low and middle income countries. With the support of more than 3,000 dedicated volunteers from our network of more than 375 independent sales offices, we have raised more than $800,000 to date. That’s enough to bring smiles to the faces of nearly 3,500 children.
Operation Smile’s vision of a world where no child suffers from lack of access to safe, well timed, and effective surgery fits well with the values of our business.
“We are a people helping people business, and it is evident from the way Operation Smile treats their patients, the community, and their volunteers that they are as well,” said Donny Boyer.
Cydcor CEO, Gary Polson explains the immense value of lending our support to great causes like Operation Smile. “We can achieve the great lives we aspire to live, by taking actions that improve the lives of others. We must be compassionate and help those in need. We must take initiative to help others beat the odds. We must act with humility and set the example. Our business gives us countless opportunities to help other people. I am so proud of who we are and what we accomplish together. We become great when we do great things, especially when we do them for others."
“What unites us all is the shared belief that we have an obligation to provide people with an opportunity to lead a better life. This extends far beyond the boundaries of our business, to helping people in our communities and in faraway places.” Said Cydcor President, Vera Quinn.
Cydcor continues our commitment to helping Operation Smile change lives through both our corporate volunteer program and fundraising efforts, and we look forward to achieving $1 million dollars raised on the organization’s behalf.
To learn more about Cydcor and our support of Operation Smile, please visit our donation home page.
Operation Smile is an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. It is one of the oldest and largest volunteer-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of children worldwide through access to surgical care. Since 1982, Operation Smile has developed expertise in mobilizing volunteer medical teams to conduct surgical missions in resource-poor environments while adhering to the highest standards of care and safety. Operation Smile helps to fill the gap in providing access to safe, well-timed surgeries by partnering with hospitals, governments and ministries of health, training local medical personnel, and donating much-needed supplies and equipment to surgical sites around the world. Founded and based in Virginia, U.S., Operation Smile has extended its global reach to more than 60 countries through its network of credentialed surgeons, pediatricians, doctors, nurses, and student volunteers. For more information, visit www.operationsmile.org.
On Wednesday, May 17th, at West Edge, NYC, Operation Smile held its 2017 New York Smile Event to celebrate 35 years of providing free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip or cleft palate conditions. Over the years, this philanthropy event celebrating helping hands and generous hearts has become one of the most anticipated events of the spring season, bringing together 250 guest from Manhattan and around the globe to celebrate the cleft lip and cleft palate charity, including New York business and community leaders and other philanthropically-minded individuals passionate about this worthy cause.
Cydcor, along with our network of more than 3,000 volunteers from 375 independent sales offices, has been partnering with Operation Smile since 2010, holding an annual Day of Smiles fundraising event, along with many other fundraisers throughout the year.
Cydcor invited four top-fundraising independent sales office owners to attend the philanthropy event, which included a gallery exhibit, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and dancing. Also in attendance were Cydcor Vice Chairman Jim Majeski along with wife and Operation Smile Founders Circle Award winner, Barbara Majeski.
To date, Cydcor has raised more than $800,000 for Operation Smile, and we look forward to achieving more than $1 million raised on the organization’s behalf. Accomplishing that goal will make us smile too.
To learn more about Cydcor and our support of the cleft lip and cleft palate charity Operation Smile, please visit our donation home page.
Operation Smile is an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. It is one of the oldest and largest volunteer-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of children worldwide through access to surgical care. Since 1982, Operation Smile has developed expertise in mobilizing volunteer medical teams to conduct surgical missions in resource-poor environments while adhering to the highest standards of care and safety. Operation Smile helps to fill the gap in providing access to safe, well-timed surgeries by partnering with hospitals, governments and ministries of health, training local medical personnel, and donating much-needed supplies and equipment to surgical sites around the world. Founded and based in Virginia, U.S., Operation Smile has extended its global reach to more than 60 countries through its network of credentialed surgeons, pediatricians, doctors, nurses, and student volunteers. For more information, visit www.operationsmile.org.
Servant leadership is a concept which holds that adopting a service-focused mindset simultaneously benefits corporations, their employees, and the community at large. At Cydcor, the Agoura Hills based leader in outsourced sales, we know first-hand that our “People helping people” motto is more than just good PR; it’s good business. The benefits of participating in community service stretch well beyond creating a “feel good” vibe around the office (though they include that, too). Servant leadership empowers employees, builds critical skills to succeed in business, and fosters a sense of teamwork, community, and renewed commitment to the organization’s shared goals.
1) Empathizing with Others: Acting as servant leaders helps team members better relate to customers and to each other. Finding common ground is a necessary first step for building trust and is a key ingredient for forming strong and lasting partnerships.
2) Learning to Listen: Serving others forces employees to master the skill of listening. Indispensable and hard to teach in these times of selfies and tweets, the ability to hear and process information from others offers inarguable advantages in sales or any kind of business interaction.
3) Getting the Message Out: Servant leadership is all about gaining and raising awareness for critical issues affecting the global community. This push to spread a message for good can help employees hone the marketing and sales skills they’ll also use to advocate on behalf of their clients.
4) Dreaming Big: In order to envision a better world, servant leaders must set ambitious goals and create plans to achieve them. In business, the ability to think big and devise viable action plans to attain goals is critical to realizing personal and organizational growth and success.
5) Looking Ahead: Having foresight helps servant leaders anticipate and sidestep roadblocks in advance and create contingency plans to overcome the challenges that might lie ahead. Employees who master this skill through service can support their organizations with the strategic planning necessary to sustain business growth in a competitive business landscape.
6) Changing Minds: A critical task of servant leaders is to effectively persuade others to care, to give, or to volunteer to help achieve a common goal. They learn how to use consensus, not manipulation or coercion, to bring others on board and reframe thinking. This power to unite teams, recruit participants, and boost enthusiasm for causes and goals can give employees an edge when selling and promoting products, training direct reports, and building their crew.
7) Being Model Mentors: A defining characteristic of servant leadership is stewardship. Servant leaders see their role as one of developing others and helping them hone their skills to take on greater responsibility. Growing the leaders of tomorrow benefits the individuals, promotes growth within an organization, and trains future advocates for the community at large.
8) Committing to Growth: Good servant leaders make it their mission to help others achieve their goals and reach their full potential. They push others to venture outside of their comfort zones and create bold visions for the future. This passion for growth can help organizations stay competitive, inspires innovation, and builds a culture where employees believe success is achievable.
9) Building Community: A concept that spans employee teams, organizations, and society at large; employees who feel a strong sense of community view themselves as vital parts of something larger. They are motivated to perform because they know that what benefits the community, benefits them as well.
10) Taking Joy in the Journey: The greatest servant leaders are those who help spread excitement throughout organizations and into the community. They help maintain a positive outlook and thrive on the thrill of overcoming challenges. Acknowledging employees’ hard work and rewarding them for their achievements helps foster a community of servant leaders who express pride in themselves through excellence at their jobs.
Encouraging employees to act as servant leaders has benefits across every aspect of a business. It improves moral and unity, it fosters a positive relationship between companies and their communities, and it helps develop a workforce that is well prepared for the complex challenges of tomorrow.
Every 3 minutes, a child is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. Operation Smile is one of the largest volunteer-based medical charities providing cleft surgeries to these children, free of charge. Through a partnership with Cydcor, hundreds of dollars have been raised to benefit this amazing children’s medical non-profit.
“Operation Smile is about more than just one child’s before and after,” said Dr. William Magee, Jr., Operation Smile Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “It’s using that child as a metaphor, and that metaphor essentially says, “Involvement can create change.”
“One surgery costs as little as $240. Operation Smile heals thousands of children each year. Cydcor has used its reach to introduce how individuals can help somebody else who may be half way around the globe. These individuals may never remember our name, but will never ever forget our kindness."- Dr. Magee shared.
Cydcor has partnered with Operation Smile since 2010. Cydcor has changed thousands of lives with a goal of raising more than $1 million dollars.
“Cydcor and Operation Smile fit together. We take care of children; people at Cydcor take care of people,” said Kathy Magee, Operation Smile Co-Founder and President. “Can you imagine Cydcor people not being able to smile at their clients? They’re showing their social responsibility by being a part of a charity that makes changes everywhere. You can make all the money you want in the world, but when you start to care about people, it really comes back to you tenfold.”
Vanessa Castaneda McCaffrey, an Operation Smile Ambassador for Cydcor said, “Philanthropy is a part of who I am, and one of the main reasons why I wanted to be a part of Cydcor. I think this is a platform for us to work with our offices and show them that the skills that we teach them to build their companies can be used in different arenas that can make a bigger impact around the world.”
“We have an expression in our business that if someone doesn’t have a smile, give them one of yours, and being able to change their lives and help them get the confidence to smile and live a happy life—it really touches your heart,” added Jim Rothermel, an Operation Smile Ambassador for Cydcor.
The annual “Day of Smiles” is Cydcor’s largest fundraising event. This is a day where Cydcor and its network of sales offices around the US, Canada and the UK, go door-to-door fundraising for Operation Smile.
Eric Chapman, an Operation Smile Ambassador for Cydcor, spoke about his experience participating in the Day of Smiles. “On Day of Smiles, I was standing on the side of the road. I was collecting money, and I was a little anxious about it ’cause I thought a lot of people probably wouldn’t want to give money. But instead, I was overwhelmed by how many people did, and I had people roll down their windows and tell me that they had been on a mission, and that Operation Smile was something very important to them.”
Cydcor and the sales offices have funded thousands of cleft surgeries, changing lives around the world.
“I got the opportunity to go to Guatemala last year: Absolutely amazing experience. It was sometimes heartbreaking, it was very emotional, but ultimately to see the kids when they’re healed and they’re happy … I mean, you can’t put a price tag on that,” said Ed Cunliffe, who attended the Cydcor and Operation Smile funded mission trip to Guatemala in 2015.
George Papalexandratos, another Operation Smile Ambassador for Cydcor added, “Our business is all about giving back, and it’s about becoming a “servant leader” to your people, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with Operation Smile: We’re developing our people and the future of this company to be a servant leader in our business, and a servant leader to our community.”
“The world needs businesses like Cydcor. They have energy, they have enthusiasm, and this is a group that really can come behind us,” said Kathy Magee.
“If you ask any one of the Cydcor representatives that went on trips with us, whether it be to Brazil or to Mexico or wherever, they’ll come back and tell you that they never realized how lucky they were. They never realized how much they could help, and that also changed their life. It has given them a different perspective,” concluded Dr. William Magee.
“Those individuals in Cydcor that have gone out of their way, and whether it’s door to door or whether it’s through corporations, to introduce Operation Smile—they’re the ones that have really created change, and it’s a beginning of getting our communities more stabilized and more understanding what the simple truth in life is, and that is to care about other people.”
Cydcor has recently raised enough funds for a 7th medical mission in benefit of Operation Smile, to take place in a location to be determined.
For additional information about Operation Smile and to learn how you can help, visit http://www.operationsmile.org/
For additional information about Cydcor, visit https://www.cydcor.com
The evening of May 12th, everyone was smiling at Cipriani’s in Midtown Manhattan—the destination of Operation Smile’s New York Gala. Cydcor joined Operation Smile and their supporters to celebrate amazing medical missions that brought life-changing care to those suffering from cleft palates and other facial malformations.
Cydcor has partnered with Operation Smile for six years already, each year raising funds and awareness to help children facing difficulties from having facial problems. "At Cydcor, we can't imagine a day without a smile—it is that immediate connection with people—and we are humbled to help make smiles possible through the work of Operation Smile," said Cydcor President Vera Quinn.
At the New York Smile event, actress Kate Hudson was presented with the Universal Smile Award for her volunteer efforts to improve the lives of those in need and for providing an inspiring example of outstanding leadership. Other prominent guests at the event included Jaimie Alexander, Oliver Platt, Diego Klattenhofff, Colin Donnell, and Jason Weinberg. “It was an inspiring experience for the Cydcor team to be among these highly recognized celebrities making this event even more special.” Manilynn Disuanco, Cydcor’s red carpet correspondent during the Smile Event shared, “Meeting Kate Hudson was really cool!” But, for her, the real celebrities were some of the award winners being recognized for their outstanding contributions. “I really enjoyed hearing Andrew Dolce, 2016 John Connor Humanitarian Award winner speak. He brought his grandchildren on stage with him. His family joined him on his medical mission trips to Nicaragua. His example has inspired me to get more of our Cydcor family inspired and hopefully get my family involved, too!”
Volunteering to raise funds for Operation Smile gives those involved an opportunity to share a rewarding activity with their families and coworkers. Chris Minger, President of Philiadelphia Elite Group, Inc., said that the Cipriani event reaffirmed his commitment to this volunteer effort. He explained, “What was most enlightening to me was hearing about how other Operation Smile supporters had been able to involve business and family networks to help this cause. Volunteers are doubly blessed. We can raise money and build bonds between our family members, friends, and coworkers. Volunteering for Operation Smile is a win-win situation for everyone involved—the volunteers, the organization, and, most importantly, the families we serve.”
Cydcor’s Chief Information Officer, Dwight Coates, walked the red carpet at the Operation Smile Gala as well. He mentioned he was moved by the passion that fuels Cydcor’s volunteers. “Not only was the Cipriani event beautiful, but the passion and desire to help others was as beautiful as the space itself. People helping others, especially children—there is no better way to help and give back,” he said.
Over the last year, Cydcor volunteers around the country held fundraising events to raise money for Operation Smile’s medical missions. Top fundraisers from Cydcor were recognized with an invitation to join a medical mission to Bolivia in March 2016. This trip gave operations to 134 people in need, with 180 total procedures performed.
Earlier this year, Cydcor also supported a mission to the Dominican Republic, adding to the list of medical missions Cydcor and Operation Smile have worked on together, including Guatemala (2014), Mexico (2014), and Brazil (2012).
The Cipriani Operation Smile Gala highlights the fundraising efforts and medical missions performed by Cydcor volunteers. Mouad Alami, from Cydcor Canada, had a profound personal moment while attending the gala. “I felt emotional when I saw a video at Cipriani. One of Operation Smile’s missions took place in Morocco—where I was born! I felt grateful to everyone who donates for great causes like this one. Operation Smile knows no boundaries for their humanitarian work,” he said.
Cydcor's fundraising totals for Operation Smile have been primarily achieved through the annual Day of Smiles fundraising event, which includes a variety of fundraising efforts across the US, Canada, and the UK. Cydcor hopes to hit the $1 million fundraising milestone by the end of 2016.
“There is nothing more precious than the life of a child,” said Kimberly Mendoza, one of Cydcor’s top fundraisers who attended the Operation Smile event. “You can make a huge difference in these children’s lives by donating, coming up with different fundraising ideas, or even just getting the word out about Operation Smile and the incredible work they do.”
The Operation Smile event in New York was an eye opening experience for the Cydcor team where they got to see the impact their fundraising efforts make in saving children’s lives. The team is excited to contribute even more during the upcoming Day of Smiles fundraising event. To help support Cydcor's fundraising efforts for Operation Smile, visit https://www.operationsmile.org/. Donations are welcomed.
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About Cydcor
Cydcor is the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams to a diverse client base of companies in a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, office products, retail, energy, and financial services. Serving Fortune 500 and emerging market clients in the business-to-business, residential, and retail channels through in-store marketing initiatives, Cydcor works with a network of more than 350 independently owned corporate licensee (ICL) sales offices, providing clients access to more than 4,600 sales professionals. The privately held company is based in Agoura Hills, California. For more information about Cydcor, go to www.cydcor.com.
Cydcor recently participated in two community outreach programs that we were proud to be a part of: Habitat for Humanity and a volunteering project coinciding with Earth Day at the LA Food Bank!
A group of 18 Cydcor volunteers joined Habitat for Humanity to help build homes for the local veteran community. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got to work building homes for people in need. Together with Habitat for Humanity, Cydcor team members were able to get 10 homes ready for inspection.
Team-building was essential for this effort, as Habitat for Humanity welcomes skilled and unskilled workers to join on-site construction teams. Cydcor volunteers showed up to the challenge with their willingness to learn and work hard, while Habitat for Humanity provided all of the tools and safety equipment, needed to get the job done.
“It was definitely gratifying, walking away at the end of the day and seeing what we accomplished as a team. I wasn’t sure we could make a difference, but we certainly did,” said Rosy, an executive assistant at Cydcor.
Many of Cydcor’s teams took part in the day, including Cydcor’s CFO, Ron Nathanson, and the Cydcor finance team. These volunteers were more than happy to come together to help a great cause, as well as improve on their team-building skills.
Cydcor’s Information Technology (IT) department also recently got to work for the local community, volunteering on Earth Day by working at the LA Food Bank.
The Cydcor team put together food packets for low-income families, assembled backpacks of food for children who may go hungry otherwise, and provided essential services to senior citizens in Los Angeles who are unable to afford their next meal.
Coming together to help this cause also allowed Cydcor members to get to know each other better and got the team excited to work for their community.
Dwight Coates, Cydcor’s Chief Information Officer, reported that Cydcor volunteers put together over 900 care packets for senior citizens on fixed incomes who often have disabilities that adversely impact their health and finances. Sometimes they have to make the impossible choice between paying for medical care or getting a meal.
“I have worked with the LA Food Bank for the past 6 years and thought, what a great way for our people to help those who need help the most,” said Dwight Coates. “By each team member having a unique and often time-sensitive task on the conveyor line, we each depended on each other for our deliverable of reaching over 750 bags in the morning time. Due to our teamwork, we packed over 900 bags for distribution.”
Education is an important part of the volunteer experience. By participating in volunteer programs, Cydcor employees and sales associates develop an understanding of the problems impacting their communities. The volunteers learned that over 1.4 million people in Los Angeles County are food insecure, meaning that they don’t know where their next meal will come from.
Cydcor is thankful and proud of the great work done by our volunteers, and we look forward to the next project we take on to help our local community!
Cydcor has funded another medical mission through Operation Smile, this time taking place in Bolivia. Cydcor volunteers will be assisting the Operation Smile team during the medical mission which will provide cleft palate surgeries for children in need.
With the help of fundraising volunteers across the country, last June Cydcor raised more than $150,000 during the “Day of Smiles” fundraiser. As a result of the money raised, Cydcor was able to fund two medical missions- this one taking place in Bolivia and another one where the location is yet to be determined in Spring 2016.
This isn’t the first time that Cydcor has funded an Operation Smile medical mission trip. In early June 2012, Cydcor volunteers traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to change the lives of children in need. In early 2014, Cydcor volunteers traveled to traveled to San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico and were able to help provide many surgeries with the money raised through Operation Smile fundraisers. Finally in November 2014, Cydcor joined Operation Smile on a medical mission to Guatemala. Overall, Cydcor has raised more than $850,000 to sponsor these life-saving medical missions.
Each mission sends doctors, volunteers, and equipment to an area with limited healthcare access and provides screenings and surgeries for children. Cleft palates often result in complications to eating, drinking, speaking and even breathing. Many infants do not survive this condition if left untreated. Operation Smile and Cydcor hope to restore many smiles around the world and give these children a chance to thrive.
This year, six Cydcor volunteers who made outstanding fundraising efforts were recognized with the special honor of assisting the medical teams and families in Bolivia. They arrived on March 9th and will be there until the 16th of March.
A very rewarding aspect of assisting on these missions is having the chance to spend time with the families of the children undergoing surgery. Cydcor volunteers also help conduct screenings, entertain the children while they wait for surgery, and provide support and comfort to families throughout the process. Their contribution is very emotionally demanding but a very rewarding experience overall.
Cydcor is proud of its partnership with Operation Smile and the success of the Day of Smiles fundraising campaign. The donations raised through this campaign will allow more less-fortunate children access to medical care.
Thank you to everyone in the organization who worked so hard on the fundraisers. Let’s continue changing lives once smile at a time!
You can make a donation to Cydcor’s Operation Smile campaign today and support this great cause!
Follow Cydcor on Facebook and YouTube for updates about our company and the latest news about our 2016 medical mission with Operation Smile.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.