At Centro, we believe we can make the world a better place. It’s a pillar of our corporate manifesto: Each individual is responsible for his/her own improvement, the improvement of the company, and the improvement of those around them.
This belief is best exemplified with Centro’s Giving Tree program. This philanthropic initiative encourages employees, with the help of regional liaisons in each office, to commit their time and fundraising efforts to various associations, charities, and organizations. In return, Centro matches a portion of some of the funds raised.
Below is a recap of some of the Giving Tree initiatives across the offices so far this year:
- The Giving Tree Los Angeles team held a Valentine’s Day bake sale and raised $313 in support of a fellow Centron's fundraising efforts for the Gay Men’s Chorus of LA. Eleven bakers prepared sweet treats like Rice Krispies treats, chocolate-covered strawberries, and heart-shaped cookies for pre-sale and day-of sales.
- In July, the Toronto office participated in a Habitat for Humanity build day at Pinery Trail.
- Across all offices to date, Centro’s Giving Tree program has matched $9,430.77 total donations to 74 unique organizations. That doesn’t include donations of time, supplies, and services.
- The Boston office participated in a charity spin ride benefiting the Boston Children’s Hospital.
- The Chicago office is once again participating in the Chicago Sun-Times’ Letters to Santa program to fulfill the holiday wish lists of 203 local students. The program works with schools, social service agencies, and shelters in poverty-stricken neighborhoods to identify children who are in need of assistance and gifts this holiday season.
- Los Angeles held their first-ever Oktoberfest charity event and raised $351 worth of donations to Wags & Walks, a local animal rescue. This fundraising event included activities such as a blind beer tasting, a stein-holding competition, and an obstacle course!
- The team in Dallas packed 200 lunch bags for homeless children over the summer, and they also served 150 lunches and meals to homeless citizens at a local shelter.
- We sent 13 Centrons to Nicaragua with our volunteer travel partner, Unearth the World, for a service trip. Team members worked with the La Mariposa school and an eco-hotel in Masaya, Nicaragua. Participants volunteered at different local sites that La Mariposa manages. They learned about environmental sustainability, improved their Spanish speaking skills, and assisted the community in their organic farming and conservation efforts.
- Our Dallas office hosted a happy hour that raised over $750 for a local animal shelter, and they also adopted three families from a women’s shelter over the holidays to help them with holiday gifts and essentials.
- Boston peeps raked leaves for the elderly through Ethos, a local organization that assists the elderly and disabled who live at home with high-quality services and support.
- For the third year in a row, we sent 5 Centrons to a ping pong tournament benefitting the Jackson Chance Foundation, an organization that provides transportation and parking to families with babies in the NICU at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
- LA held two trivia nights: One in April to benefit AIDS/Lifecycle. The event raised $555, and it marked a milestone donation amount for a Giving Tree LA trivia night. The event was such a success that they had to do it twice! In September, the team raised $400 in support of Operation USA’s response to the hurricanes and earthquakes that devastated North and Central America.
- For the 5th year in a row, Boston joined 4,200 other Bostonians and participated in the Light the Night Walk benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma society – and raised over $1,600 for the event.
- For “Change the World” week in Chicago, there were a number of activities planned. The week resulted in Chicago peeps creating 150 activity kits for Lurie’s Children’s Hospital and Aspire Chicago, 35 blankets for PAWS & the Anti-Cruelty Society, preparing 35 lunches for the Lincoln Park Community Shelter, raising more than $300 for the Scleroderma Foundation, and packing 40 bags for Together We Rise.
- And for LA’s “Change the World Day” in June, five Centrons spent their morning at the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica sorting through donated produce that was provided to community members in need. And, for the third year in a row, the LA office held a canned food donation drive in support of Westside Food Bank.
- As a first for Giving Tree LA, nine high school students and three aides visited Centro’s office to learn about the digital ad industry, Centro’s business, and the team members' personal journeys. After an office tour and presentation, Centrons sat down and had a pizza lunch with the students and their chaperones.
- For the second year in a row, the Boston team worked with Action for Boston Community Development to “Adopt a Family for Christmas” and provide holiday gifts for a local family.
- The Chicago office raised money to purchase school supplies for local CPS students heading back to school this summer. Enough money was raised to purchase a long, exhaustive list of supplies to keep the kids happy and well-stocked this school season – enough that the receipt was 15 feet long!
