Before coming to PowerToFly, the company holiday parties I attended were radically different. There were gift exchanges, catered lunches, champagne, and lots of awkward interactions between co-workers (my favorite part). Sure, this was fun and all, but at the end of the day, I felt like I was missing something, and to quote a seasonal favorite, the Grinch;
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!
At PowerToFly, we're a small remote team spanning 12 different countries. We have a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, and we all celebrate different holidays.
So, instead of your typical "office holiday party," we have a "Secret Snowflake," where each employee is randomly assigned another employee and donates $10 to a charity in their honor. This gives us the opportunity to learn more about our Secret Snowflakes and the teammates that they work closest with, as we ask around to learn more about our Snowflakes' interests, hobbies, and passions. (And of course, contribute to some great causes.)
We spent time getting to know people we don't typically interact with on a day-to-day basis, while discovering charities and foundations all over the globe! Because we're all in different timezones, "small talk" isn't something we usually get to do a lot of, so meetings like this, where we have the opportunity to learn more about each other, are really special.
To me, this blending of cultures, understanding what my teammates truly value, and contributing to causes we care about (everything from the environment to animals to people in need), means more than any gift or catered meal, and embodies the true spirit of the holidays!
This year, our team donated over $300 to 30 the charities listed below:
- International Rescue Committe
- Karama Organization for Women and Children's Development
- Dizzy Feet Foundation
- Mutt Rescue
- Edo State Women Association
- Animal Rescue Foundation of Louisiana
- Texas Humane Heroes
- Ukrainian Philanthropic Marketplace
- Help Animals India
- Comedy Cures
- Palestine Charity Team
- Uniendo Caminos
- Animal Rescue of the Rockies
- Wounded Nature
- Ukrainian Philanthropic Marketplace
- Gilda's Club
- New Beginning Animal Rescue
- Women Who Code Kyiv
- The Trevor Project
- Sumando Manos Foundation
- Razom
- Ecuador Children's Hope Organization
- LAPA
- International Street Dog Foundation
- The DREAM Project
- Basic Research and Development Society
- Ecologia - Youth Trust
- Karumbe
- Spirit of Children
- CASA of Cook County
From the team at PowerToFly, we wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday. See you in 2019!
