Our goal at ICS is and has always been, to make a difference in our employee’s lives, our customer’s businesses, and in the community. It’s our mission statement! We even have a program that works to help ICS employees take the time to give back to their communities by working directly with local charities and service organizations. We call it “ICS Cares”, and it’s not just for good PR pictures for LinkedIn.
This year, ICS decided to take it one step further by hosting a Charity Golf Tournament, to benefit two organizations that we care about deeply: The Helio Health Foundation and the American Red Cross.
Helio Health works hard in our local community to fight the effects of substance use and mental health disorders. Through services like counseling, outreach, rehabilitation, and much more, they fight the good fight every day to provide care to hundreds of people in need in our community. Their mission is powerful, selfless, and personal; and their efforts have saved countless lives. They define what it is to be a “service organization” and we’re extremely proud to be involved with them; both as a partner, and as a hosting party for the tournament that benefits them.
The American Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that we’re all a little more familiar with, that serves to shelter, feed, and provide emotional support to victims of disasters. They supply about 40 percent of the nation’s blood reserves, teach skills that save lives, provide international humanitarian aid, and support military members and their families. They depend primarily on volunteers, and the generosity of the American public to perform their mission. With the world suffering the current effects of COVID-19, hurricanes, and wildfires, organizations like the Red Cross are more important than ever.
So, what can you do to help? We thought you’d never ask! It doesn’t have to be organizing a golf tournament; there are several different ways to get involved and support the mission of the American Red Cross! The first way is to become a volunteer. Did you know that volunteers constitute about 90% of the Red Cross workforce? More than 25,000 volunteers support the Red Cross Blood Services annually, with more than 15,000 of them being either nurses or nursing students. Oh, and approx. 25% of all volunteers are under the age of 24! In total, they respond to more than 60,000 disasters per year!
The second way to get involved is through donations. If you aren’t in a position to volunteer your time, but still want to support the cause, even one donation directly through the website can make a significant impact!
Interested in taking a few classes? The third way you can support the Red Cross is to enroll in a certification course! For more than a century, they have prepared individuals and organizations to be ready in the event of an emergency. From First Aid and CPR training to Lifeguard and EMT certification, The American Red Cross has tons of emergency health and safety training, including full certification programs. Every year, millions of people are trained in First Aid, CPR, and AED utilization, resulting in thousands of lives saved!
Finally, the most common way to support the American Red Cross is through the Red Cross Blood Services. Blood is one of the greatest gifts that you can give someone, and feel great about doing it! The reasons people donate vary. For some, it’s personal; they know someone who needs blood now, has needed it in the past or will need it in the future. Others simply do it as an act of service to help those in need. Whatever the reason, donating blood to the Red Cross Blood Services saves lives. (In fact, the Red Cross publishes statistics that reveal that every donation of blood saves approx. three lives!)
And, of course, the elephant in the room: with COVID-19 infections still a threat, the need for plasma donations is at an all-time high. Are you fully recovered from a verified COVID-19 diagnosis? If so, the plasma in your blood may contain COVID-19 antibodies that can attack the virus. Plasma is being evaluated as a possible treatment for COVID-19 patients, and your donation could potentially help save the lives of people actively battling the disease.
The Helio Health Foundation, and the American Red Cross are just two of the many charities and foundations that ICS supports. We are proud to have the ICS Cares program, which allows our employees to get involved in what they are passionate about. We’re excited to be able to host events like the ICS Charity Golf Tournament, but even more so to do our small part in giving back to the amazing charities and foundations that we work with, and helping to advance the communities that we live and work in.
Hope to see you at the next one!