PE Cares: What Happened in 2019 at Productive Edge
This past year has been a whirlwind of success at Productive Edge. Not only have we delivered game-changing digital solutions to numerous industries, but we have grown our team, increased our global reach, expanded our capabilities, and forged many new partnerships. But that’s not all.
What else did we do in 2019?
We broadened our engagement with our local community by participating in more events that impact the lives of those around us. As a company, we consider ourselves very fortunate. We also recognize that many people are facing significant challenges in their daily lives. Our goal is to do exceptional things to assist those in need in the communities around us.
The idea of giving back is something that is ingrained in Productive Edge’s culture, and it really comes to life through our PE Cares organization. PE Cares exists to aid charities within the greater Chicago area, and throughout the year we sponsored and participated in several different events in support of multiple local organizations. A little about the organizations we helped and the work we did:
- TechGirlz inspires middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology to empower their future careers. Together, we held a hands-on workshop where students learned how to think like a digital designer.
- UIC Black Tech Scholars ensures professional and web development opportunities for African American undergraduate students. Productive Edge hosted a job shadow event and 24-hour hackathon to build a mobile app.
- Lakeview Food Pantry opened in 1970 and helps people in the community who are struggling to secure the food they need. We assisted in the preparation of food and served dinner at their facility.
- The Lincoln Park Conservancy is at the forefront of historic conservation, ecological restoration, park programming, and management. They have privately funded improvement projects of every size. Volunteers from Productive Edge helped their group clean up the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool.
- The Birthday Party Project brings joy to children by hosting monthly birthday parties at homeless and transitional living facilities across the country. For the event, we helped put on a carnival-themed party. Games and events included potato sack races, face painting, and balloon animals.
- Innovations High School is a local community school that fosters a culture of success in its student body by developing resilient critical thinkers in a supportive community. Productive Edge hosted a lunch-and-learn for the students on topics covering transferable skills and how to prepare for a job in tech.
- The Pacific Garden Mission serves three meals a day, 365 days a year, and also provides shelter for those seeking overnight accommodations. Productive Edge held a food drive to donations, and then volunteers helped serve two meals at the facility.
- River North Anti-Cruelty Animal Shelter is Chicago’s oldest and most comprehensive animal welfare organization. In order to provide for dogs at the shelter, PE came together to create dog toys. The toys were made out of old t-shirts donated by PE staff.
“We believe that, as a community, we are all in this together,” said Wyatt Kapastin from Productive Edge. “When we help those around us succeed, everyone benefits. We are excited for our PE Cares organization to continue making a positive impact on our community in 2020.”
For more information on PE Cares or if you would like to partner with PE for future collaborations and events, please connect with our team at services@productiveedge.com or 312-561-9000.
