DO GOOD
PEOPLE-POWERED CHANGE: HOW A WEEK OF SERVICE STRENGTHENS THE COMMUNITY
By Allison Hata | Contributor
FALL 2024 ISSUE
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Photo courtesy of Johnson & Johnson
While you may not be able to change the world in just five days, 600 employees from Johnson & Johnson MedTech proved what the power of volunteerism can do for a community. From Aug. 4-9, volunteers from the company’s Irvine campus lent a hand through 17 events tackling pressing issues during its Week of Caring.
“At Johnson & Johnson, we follow three main pillars when it comes to choosing organizations to support — healthcare access, STEM education to empower our next generation of innovators, and healthy communities,” says Kimberly Graves, Senior Manager, Global Employee Engagement.
Launched in 2021, Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s Week of Caring encouraged employees to step away from their desks and out into the community for hands-on volunteer opportunities. While some groups rolled up their sleeves to work the fields of a Second Harvest Food Bank farm, others got creative with making educational kits and learning tools.
“All of our employees at Johnson & Johnson live in to Our Credo, which is a set of guiding principles that challenge us to put the needs and wellbeing of the people we serve first,” Kimberly says. “As a company, we are responsible for the communities in which we live and work, which is why Week of Caring was created for our teams based at our Irvine campus to give back and make a difference in the local community.”
The annual volunteer week has continued to grow year over year, and 2024 was no exception. Every spot at each of the 17 volunteer events this year was filled and a record number of employees signed up to make an impact in their own backyard.
“Week of Caring is one of the most highly anticipated weeks for our team,” Kimberly says. “... We also hope that our employees will be inspired by their activities this week and will continue to support the communities where we live and work all throughout the year.”
Here’s a look at some of the ways Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s efforts this August made a difference.
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SOUTH COUNTY OUTREACH
In addition to homeless prevention and rapid-rehousing services, this Irvine-based nonprofit runs two markets in Irvine and Laguna Niguel that provide nourishing ingredients and pantry staples to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. With a setup not unlike that of a traditional grocery store, the South County Outreach food markets allow clients to fill their carts with items that meet their specific tastes and nutritional needs. Johnson & Johnson MedTech team members showed up every day Monday through Thursday to sort donations, reorganize shelves and stock the market with non-perishables and fresh food like butter, eggs, protein, and produce. Volunteer efforts like this play a critical role in the organization's ability to meet the unprecedented levels of need in the community and distribute food to roughly 1,500 residents each month.
BEYOND BLINDNESS
Children with visual impairments can experience the world in a hands-on, interactive way, and organizations like Beyond Blindness exist to help make this possible. Programs that range from early intervention to education, enrichment and family support provide opportunities for kids of all ages and abilities to learn, grow and thrive. In addition to one-on-one therapies and enrichment services like orientation and mobility training, the nonprofit supports students with inclusive classroom instruction from Teachers of the Visually Impaired. Week of Caring volunteers supported Beyond Blindness by helping to make interactive felt storyboards that will be incorporated into lessons that empower children in creative and tactile play.
DREAMS FOR SCHOOLS
What would a world be without science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics? These disciplines — known collectively as STEAM — set kids up to be curious innovators who exercise both sides of their brains to solve problems and explore the world. Based in Santa Ana, Dreams for Schools is making STEAM more accessible to K-12 students with engaging programs that encourage critical thinking and creativity, from coding games and building websites to developing mobile apps. More than 120 Johnson & Johnson MedTech employees rallied in support of next-gen STEAM learning and helped assemble 2,300 kits that contain easy-to-follow instructions and specialized materials for students to gain hands-on experience in the field.
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK
Last year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (SHFB) distributed 35,781,426 pounds of food to residents of all ages. Hunger continues to be an urgent, prevalent issue even in Orange County, where more than 300,000 people face food insecurity, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap report. Over the summer months, when free school lunches aren’t available, one in eight children in the region go to bed hungry. At the SHFB Distribution Center in Irvine, more than 120 Week of Caring volunteers helped process hundreds of pounds of donated food like fruits and vegetables that will be given to local residents through the food bank’s community partner network.
In addition to its distribution center, SHFB runs a farm program with two locations in Irvine. Started in 2021, Harvest Solutions Farm provides between 50,000 to 60,000 pounds of fresh produce every week for the food bank’s programs. But with 45 acres to farm, it takes a village of volunteers. Johnson & Johnson MedTech team members showed up ready to serve, harvesting 12,000 pounds of zucchini and watermelon for local distribution over the course of four hours.
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PROJECT HOPE ALLIANCE
Though she’s now CEO of the nonprofit Project Hope Alliance, Jennifer Friend grew up living in and out of Orange County motels. She’s not alone. One in six children in Orange County experience homelessness, exposing them to toxic stress and increasing the likelihood they’ll suffer from health issues ranging from hunger and asthma to respiratory and ear infections. Without a stable place to live, it’s also more likely they will fall behind in school, according to Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving Schools program. To help Project Hope Alliance in its mission to end cycles of homelessness, more than 60 employees packed hygiene kits filled with essential self-care items as well as wrote letters of hope to children in need across Orange County.
WORKING WARDROBES
Career readiness can be complex, but Santa Ana-based Working Wardrobes takes a multifaceted approach to preparing individuals as they enter the workforce. In addition to one-on-one career counseling, access to certification programs and trainings, and services like interview coaching and resume review, the organization also equips clients with professional attire so they’re prepared inside and out. It hosts various drives throughout the year for clothing and accessories that are provided to clients for upcoming job interviews. Week of Caring volunteers not only processed and sorted these donations, they also had a chance to curate outfits for Working Wardrobes jobseekers that will help them gain confidence and build self-esteem.
NEWPORT BEACH CLEANUP
Trash on the beach does more than just cause an unsightly mess. The food wrappers, cigarette butts, single-use bottles, plastic and other debris left behind by beachgoers contaminate our coastline and will eventually be swept out to sea. Plastics, in particular, can remain in the environment for several years. It can lead to devastating impacts on marine life, such as animals inadvertently ingesting debris or getting entangled in plastic rings. The city of Newport Beach welcomes up to 100,000 tourists daily during the summer months, making this a prime season for trash on our shores. During this busy time of year, the Johnson & Johnson MedTech team set out to keep the beach pristine with a cleanup day to close out its Week of Caring.
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION
One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. It’s also expected that the disease will make up nearly a third of all new female cancer diagnoses in 2024, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This organization advocates for early detection and diagnosis — which drastically improves survival rates — in addition to providing support to patients during treatment. One way it does this is through Hope Kits, which Johnson & Johnson MedTech team members helped assemble. These thoughtful care packages are filled with comforting items like fuzzy socks, journals and luxury vegan products from Thrive Causemetics, and show breast cancer patients that there is a community of support behind them through every step of their journey.