Randall Donner
Randall Donner, Communications Senior Professional

Changing Lives Through the Employee Campaign

Employee 70's Campaign Day

In my work, the job of telling good news stories about Mosaic and the people we serve, I’ve often heard people use the term ‘life-changing.’ I’ve heard it from employees, donors, volunteers, and family members of the people we serve.

Being a part of this mission can be life-changing for people, I think, because at the heart of the mission, it’s about changing lives. When you get to be a part of making a positive impact that changes another person’s life, it feels great.

During June, Mosaic employees are asked to change the lives of the people served in a different way – through financial gifts. It is the time of our annual employee campaign, which (not coincidentally) this year is named “Changing Lives.”

Employees respond to the invitation – in a big way.

Since 2003, when Mosaic was formed, employees have given nearly $3 million through the campaign. Last year, more than 56 percent of employees made a gift, most of them through payroll deduction every two weeks of $1 or more.

Like in so many other areas of life, small things add up to big things.

A $1 payroll deduction every two weeks becomes $26 for a year, enough to buy someone Mosaic serves a new shirt for a job interview – and that could indeed be life-changing!

When hundreds of employees do that, it adds up to greater things for people.

The best part is many agencies across Mosaic make the campaign fun for people. We’ve had challenges offering someone on the leadership team to shave their head, or dye their hair orange, or be doused with ice water. Many places use the campaign as a reason for fun food days (why not, right?).

One of last year’s fun activities at Mosaic in Rockford (Illinois) was a ‘70s day, with ‘70s food and activities.

“We had pet rock craft stations, tie-dye your own T-shirt and had fun with snap it wrist bracelets,” said Brook Genna, community relations manager. “We also had the ’70s food customized for each part of the day. For example, for breakfast we had crepes and pop tarts, for lunch we had Watergate salad and drank some Tang. For dinner or dessert we did poke cake, Jello cakes, Bugles, etc. Overall the campaign kickoff was a blast.”

Having a blast and changing lives at the same time.

That’s the reason many people use the phrase ‘life-changing’ when they talk about Mosaic. It often is.

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