PCG Cares ended the year strong by spreading joy to local communities and families this holiday season. From coast to coast across the U.S., to our offices in Poland, PCG colleagues really got into the spirit of giving and we’ve got the round-up to prove it! Scroll through our post below for stories and photos from PCG Cares efforts in Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Austin, Boston, Clarkston, Indianapolis, Lodz, Medford, Olympia, Phoenix, Portsmouth, Staunton, and Warsaw.

Staff in Boston, Massachusetts got together in early December to sponsor two families through an Adopt-a-Family program run by DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended), a charitable organization that has been helping hundreds of families in troubled times for over 40 years by providing guidance, housing and general support. The team donated gifts for two families from DOVE’s Emergency Shelter or Community-based Services Program in order to help bring joy during a difficult time in their lives. 

Boston staff participated in an Adopt-a-Family program for DOVE's Annual Holiday Drive.

PCG Polska employees from Lodz and Warsaw got together as part of the national charity initiative, NOBLE GIFT, to prepare a special gift for a chosen family struggling with poverty. Known for project management skills and warm hearts, the PCG team in Poland collected nine heavy boxes of gifts (mainly bandages, medicine, food, household chemicals, and clothes), that were delivered to a young adult named Daria during the Weekend of Miracles on Dec 8th. The NOBLE GIFT from PCG will help Daria overcome a difficult time after an unexpected surgery thanks to the food supply as well as the new training materials and tools the PCGers packed in her boxes as a surprise to help her meet her dreams of becoming a hairdresser.

PCG staff in Lodz and Warsaw donated gifts for the national NOBLE GIFT charity initiative.

During the season of giving, the Atlanta team supported two organizations that strive to positively influence the lives of young people in the community. First, the team participated in the Junior Achievement (JA) Finance Park program to help 7th and 8th grade students from Henry County Middle School in the metro-Atlanta area learn about adulthood and finances. The program is designed to help students achieve a greater sense of awareness about their future and plan on ways to achieve the greatest amount of success in life. The very same day, the team donated 30 pounds of toiletries to the At-Promise Youth and Community Center, which helps youth and young adults who are homeless or aged out of foster care get on their feet.

The Atlanta team participated in the JA Finance Park program to help junior high students learn about adulthood and finances.

Team members from the Staunton, Virginia office held a gingerbread house workshop in mid-December at the Valley Mission, a non-profit organization offering shelter, support, hope, and love to the homeless. These kids made some awesome gingerbread houses and the team appreciated being invited to this superb afterschool program!

PCGers in Staunton decorated gingerbread houses with children through the Valley Mission’s afterschool program.

The Augusta office banded together and brought Christmas to two children in need through The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program in Augusta, Maine. The team intentionally selected older children since they tend to not be selected as often as younger children around the holiday season. On their wish list, the children asked for fun things and they asked for needs – the team generously provided both. Augusta staff hope that with these gifts, the children believe in the holiday spirit for a little longer because there are good people still in this world.

Augusta team members collected gifts for two children through The Salvation Army.

For the second year running, members of the Public Partnerships team in Phoenix volunteered with OCJ Kids in mid-December to wrap Christmas presents for children living in foster care group homes. They wrapped gifts for all ages, with most children asking for necessities and one fun item. The team had a great time, but it was a humbling experience as well.

Public Partnerships staff in Phoenix volunteered with OCJ Kids to wrap presents for children in foster care.

Staff from Austin visited SAFE's Holiday Warehouse for the second year in a row to wrap and organize gifts for families in SAFE programming. SAFE stands for Stop Abuse For Everyone and includes an emergency shelter for adults and kids fleeing domestic violence, a children's shelter for kids removed from their families by Child Protective Services (CPS), transitional living facilities, supportive housing for teen moms and those aging out of foster care, and much more. PCG staff were grateful to help with some of the over 6,000 gifts that get distributed through the holiday program to families and individuals utilizing these services.

PCGers in Austin wrapped and organized gifts in SAFE's Holiday Warehouse.

Clarkston PCG staff volunteered with The Idaho Food Bank’s "Holiday Heroes Food Distribution” event on December 17th. The Idaho Food Bank provided food to over 300 households during this distribution, which was held at the Nez Perce County Fairgrounds. The team’s efforts included filling bags of food, taking registration information from those needing assistance, and helping load food into vehicles.

Members of the Clarkston office volunteered with The Idaho Food Bank's "Holiday Heroes Food Distribution."

PCGers in Albany participated for their fourth year in a row in the Albany County Adopt-a-Family Program for the holidays! They were able to collect everything on their adopted families’ wish list.

Albany staff wrapped gifts for the Albany County's Adopt-a-Family program.

Members of PCG Cares in Medford and Boston, Massachusetts had a wonderful time volunteering at St. Francis House on December 18th, helping to serve lunch to the homeless.

PCG staff in Medford and Boston served lunch to the homeless at St. Francis House.

Phoenix staff from Public Partnerships hosted a Corporate Christmas Angel tag event with The Salvation Army for the first three weeks of December. Their Christmas trees were decorated and with the help of so many in the office, over 180 toys were donated to fulfill 45 tags.

The Phoenix Public Partnerships office collected over 180 toys for The Salvation Army's Christmas Angel tag event.

In late December, Portsmouth staff teamed up to donate food and personal items to Gather, the local seacoast New Hampshire food pantry. Some PCG Cares members then volunteered to help sort and organize the donations received from all over the seacoast. Gather had a huge warehouse of food because of the holiday-related donations! PCG staff sorted through thousands of pounds of food cans and other donations, organizing and checking expiration dates. It was a lot of work but very rewarding and fun.

Portsmouth staff helped sort and organize donations of food and personal items to Gather.

A true testament to how holiday cheer still lingers through the end of the year, PCGers in Olympia, Washington continued the giving spirit by donating blood with the Red Cross on December 28th.

Olympia staff donated blood with the Red Cross in late December.

Staff in Indianapolis, Indiana worked together to make 52 food kits and 47 hygiene kits out of donated items that were then delivered to a local organization called Horizon House during the week of December 31st. Horizon House is a full-service agency that connects homeless neighbors with integrated, comprehensive services. The organization provides a safe place and basic services for their community homeless, serving them with dignity and respect, as they take steps towards a more stable life. PCG is proud to see our colleagues work together to make a difference in this city!

The Indianapolis office donated food and hygiene kits for the homeless to Horizon House.