At RF-SMART, changing lives, having one another's back, and leaving an ever-expanding impact is not only something we believe in, but it is essential to who we are and the culture we have created. Our company values extend further than just inside the walls of RF-SMART, but expands into our communities regionally, nationally, and globally. In 2019, we set a goal for our team members and their families to volunteer 1,000 hours at select charities. Here's a summary of how we did.
In an effort to help others when they need it most, we created the 2019 RF-SMART Charity Program. RF-SMART team members were asked to directly change lives by contributing both time and money to 11 different charities around the world. Our goal was to serve 1,000 volunteer hours across the company by the end of the year. RF-SMART also matched volunteering efforts with up to 8 hours of PTO per employee. A few spotlights from 2019 include:
Our biggest volunteer month was August with 308 hours. Renaissance Jax focus is cultivating the FIRST Robotics, STEM education, and mentor-driven experiences for young people in the Jacksonville community. Being a tech company, several of our team members volunteered at Renaissance Jax’s, City Shaper Build Day last August where they worked alongside our future tech talent building Lego robots. Jonathan Phillips, Software Developer II, said, “I did robotics when I was in middle school, so it was nice to help the next generation of kids do the same things.”
Habitat for Humanity has been changing lives since 1976 and helped over 29 million people build or improve their home. We were proud to assist in their efforts of building a home for a local, very deserving family. Our VP of People, Aaron Ellinger, said: “It was so great to be working side by side with the future owner of the house that we were building! Knowing that she is putting in sweat equity and hearing her thank the volunteers for their help - that was really rewarding.”
Matthew Varley, a Software Developer located out of our UK Office helped raise awareness and combat homelessness in the UK by sleeping in the street for a night with Simon on the Streets. Around 100 people took part, and the night was filled with informative presentations from the charity founders and volunteers, as well as a storytelling session from individuals who had turned their lives around and made it off the streets. He said, “The Sleep with Simon event was incredible, and really eye-opening. It definitely made an impact with me, and I will endeavor to truly appreciate what I have and not take my home for granted.”
We surpassed our 2019 goal with a total of 1,149 volunteer hours, and RF-SMART gave an additional 315 hours of PTO for employee participation during volunteer events. As a bonus, monetary donations were matched dollar for dollar with a total of $34,627 given to the 11 charitable organizations. Fun Fact: In November alone, our team members donated $7,090.10, and RF-SMART matched it and donated a grand total of $14,180.20.
Our mission is still as important as ever. We plan to continue to change lives as our organization continues to grow. Our 2020 goal is 1,000 volunteer hours, and RF-SMART will continue to match dollar for dollar for donations up to $25,000. The only change from 2019 is the organizations we are supporting across the globe all have the same focus on eradicating hunger. A few examples include:
Keep reading to learn more about the RF-SMART Company Values and culture.
