We spend a lot of time at SBF thinking about how we can give back. Supporting and encouraging our colleagues and teammates is a vital pillar of our office culture, but our philosophy doesn’t end at our front door. Giving back to worthy causes connects us to our communities — and to each other.
If you visited SBF’s main office over the holidays, you may have spotted a unique decorated Christmas tree in the cafe. Unlike most holiday décor, the Chi Chi Rodriguez Angel Tree was wreathed in requests for books — two for each child. On December 15, SBF employees delivered 142 books to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy, a public-private partnership school in Clearwater founded by famed golfer Rodriguez. The school serves at-risk youth in fourth through eighth grades, helping them achieve academic and social success.
Our book drive was just one part of our company’s year-round volunteer efforts, though there’s something extra special about giving during the winter holidays.
SBF had the opportunity to support Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas, which provides services to ensure healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. The services include parenting and childbirth education, nutritional care, health education, counseling, free health screenings and safe sleep education. On the second Thursday of each month, SBF employees sorted and repackaged diapers to distribute to participating families. We’re excited to continue to support this wonderful organization and its mission in 2023 and beyond!
Finally, while we always keep an eye to the future, we believe in looking after our neighbors and meeting their needs right now. This includes our ongoing partnership with Convoy of Hope, a humanitarian organization that feeds those suffering as a result of natural disasters.
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, SBF Chief People Officer Jessica Espaillat set up a custom landing page for our employees to collect donations. A number of external partners matched every dollar from this internal drive, so we were able to give Convoy of Hope essential relief supplies in disaster zones.
We at SBF feel so fortunate that we can give back to the Tampa Bay region all year long. Thank you for sharing your holiday spirit with us, and best wishes from the entire team for a happy and healthy new year!