Habitat for Humanity 2021 Recap
EMC employees gathered in Fresno, CA on October 16th, 2021 to volunteer for the Habitat for Humanity of Fresno. Habitat for Humanity has many facets, building, restoring, repairing, donating items etc. On this particular day, EMC was involved in a Senior Paint Project for the recipient Mary M. We put our time into painting and restoring the outside of her home. Not only does Habitat for Humanity work with homeowners to build new homes but they also do restorative projects for those in need. This was one of those projects.
Our employees spent the day painting and detailing the exterior of Mary’s home. It required hard labor, patience, time, and precision. EMC staff participated for a variety of reasons. Monique Garcia who works in Oculofacial Plastics Department (first floor) had always been interested in volunteering with Habitat, even before her career at EMC. When she found out about the opportunity, she jumped at the chance.
It was a memorable day because of the bonding that took place amongst coworkers. This was the first time most had volunteered for Habitat, and she was blown away at how willing everyone was to jump into something new as a group.
“Eye Medical Center has a passion for our community. Giving back is one of the cornerstones of who we are. We partnered with Habitat for Humanity for that reason. We pride ourselves in building better Eye Care, and love to work to build a better community at the same time”
The experience was overall humbling. She loved being a part of helping a family, and left feeling accomplished, tired, and having a newfound respect for outdoor workers.
Monique has worked with Habitat ever since 1994, so when she heard about EMC’s initiative for a local community service project, her first instinct was to call and make a volunteer day happen. She loves Habitat because it’s hands-on and to her, is the most effective and direct way to make a difference in someone’s life. She enjoyed her time with fellow employees along with some non-EMC volunteers. Everyone was friendly and very willing to help, and the site manager gave great enthusiasm and direction. Upon completion, she felt incredibly accomplished that the team had completed their goals and helped meet the site manager’s unusually tight deadline.
Completing manual labor was harder work than some imagined, but it really made everyone feel that they were helping others. Everyone who was interviewed used the same word to describe how they felt at the end of the day: accomplished.
