tED magazine recently introduced a new column that was created to bring you some positive news in today’s negative world. It’s called “The Good Stuff”, and today we’re highlighting more of the positive news we’ve received from our readers.
In this issue, we’re sharing a story from City Electric Supply’s Corporate and National Solutions division:
A Jasper, Georgia resident recently made a commitment to help those struggling to put food on the table during COVID-19. City Electric Supply (CES) is proud to share that Benjamin Pickering, a project manager for the company’s Corporate and National Solutions division, joined forces with Revolution Church and Serv International to help distribute food to people in his community during the pandemic.
“We saw that people needed food and the elderly couldn’t get out. The logical thing was a food drive,” said Pickering. “Being a helping hand in your community can go a long way to improving someone’s day, and it’s a great feeling.”
Pickering lent a helping hand in his community not once, but four times. The latest food drive with Revolution Church had 20 team members who assisted with delivering all 200 40-pound boxes of food (around 8,000 pounds total) provided by SERV International.
“That was actually the fourth food drive I did with my church during the pandemic,” said Pickering, who has been a member of Revolution Church since 2017. “I helped organize this one and direct people to boxes of food.”
“We are extremely grateful that we have an opportunity to serve families that are struggling to put food on their tables during this pandemic, and we feel blessed that we have the resources to make an impact in our local community,” said Zip Cain with Revolution Church.
Both Pickering and Cain believe the food drives wouldn’t be possible without the assistance of Serv International, an organization that has distributed over eight million meals worldwide. According to the nonprofit, which uses food as a catalyst to transform lives around the world, the demand for food has increased since the pandemic hit.
“Hunger was already on the rise before COVID,” said Adili Kea, chief of operations and development with Serv International. “COVID-19 lockdowns affected thousands of families in areas we serve, thus increasing the need for critical food response to help save lives of the most vulnerable.”
Pickering, Cain, and SERV International hope that others will be inspired to do the same after reading their story.
“Anyone from the community can come and pack out these food boxes. We have a signup link each month, and there could be anywhere from 25 to 50 people on any given day,” said Cain.
This act of kindness has caught the attention of many, including CES Cares Social Impact Manager Karen Gray.
“What Ben is doing is so important. When his coworkers see what he does, he is potentially inspiring them to volunteer as well. I think it’s good to showcase to others inside and out of the company,” said Gray.
It’s safe to say that Pickering with CES, Cain with Revolution Church, and Kea with SERV International are making an impact in Jasper, Georgia, one food drive at a time.
tED wants to know about your “Good Stuff”. If you work with someone who is helping other people, or a group of co-workers that’s creating better outcomes, we want to know about it.
Please send your “Good Stuff” to Online Editor, Nicky Herron at nherron@naed.org and Editorial & Web Assistant, Marie Jakle at mjakle@naed.org. Send us details, names, and photos if you have them.
Tagged with City Electric Supply, Good Stuff