Giving Back This Fall
by: Ashley Cafaro, Lead Designer
My name is Ashley Cafaro and I’m the Design Lead on our Enova Studios team. I’m also a mother of two rambunctious boys and a board member on the Parents @ Enova affinity group. Our group started joining forces just before the pandemic, and we launched in September of 2020. Our mission is to serve as a resource to empower Enova’s working parents — bringing them together to help navigate the everyday challenges of raising children while positively influencing their experience at Enova.
Ever since we launched the Parents @ Enova group, we have always wanted to find a way to give back to our community, specifically children and families in need. However, the challenge was how to do a fundraiser while working remotely from different locations around the country. Enova had done fundraisers and giving events in the past through our Enova Gives program, such as the Cradles to Crayons Back to School Supply Drive, but that event was really convenient because we were able to drop off our supplies in a central location for collection in the office. How do we give back in a pandemic when most team members are working remotely?
The Parents @ Enova board members started to brainstorm a few options around what this could look like. When we wanted to have this giving event, I reached out to Nivene, our Lead Corporate Communications Associate of Enova Gives, to see if this was even possible and explained to her some of our ideas and challenges. Coincidentally, Nivene had been in contact with Cradles to Crayons about a way companies could give back while working remotely.
The Parents @ Enova board, plus Nivene and a few folks from Cradles to Crayons, all met to go over the details for their latest giving option called “Giving Factory Direct”. The program easily matches participants with a child to donate new or gently used clothing from the comfort of their homes. When signing up, participants are providing a week’s worth of clothes to meet a child’s immediate needs. Cradles to Crayons posts a list of clothing items needed to complete a KidPack ranging from seven tops, seven bottoms, a pair of pajamas, a few sweaters or sweatshirts and an optional coat and/or dress for girls.
The Giving Factory Direct was a great option for the remote work environment we’re in today for a couple of reasons. First, it was so easy. All Enova team members needed to do was head to their closets and go through new or gently used clothes their children no longer needed. Second, because Cradles to Crayons partners with organizations all across the country to provide for children and families in need, this giving option was open to all of our offices. And lastly, Cradles to Crayons paid for the shipping and provided the shipping label.
The event was a great success. We were able to provide over 20 KidPacks! That’s roughly 340 items of clothing. Thank you all for participating, and a special shoutout to Enova Gives and Cradles to Crayons for putting all the logistics together and making giving back so easy.
If you would like to give back with Cradles to Crayons, you can always go to the Giving Factory Direct website and donate your own KidPack. If you don’t have children’s clothing to donate, you’re always welcome to make a financial contribution to Cradles to Crayons as well.