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We were able to collect 1,178 items for CCMI through the help of our donation locations and generous donors!
It is with great excitement and appreciation that we share the results of our 2nd Annual CAN IT! Campaign. Through the support of our multiple drop off locations and the many donors who contributed we collected
1,178 items for CCMI!
Today we dropped it off! It took three vehicles and a lot of volunteers, but we did it! (pictures here 
)Thank you all for your support! We look forward to collecting even more next year.
From all of us to you and yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
By: Samantha Scott, APR
Grand Poobah / Owner
Yes, we’re in the holiday time of year and it seems like everyone is talking about donations, end of year giving and helping the needy. We are too. Beyond doing something good for someone else or “paying it forward,” there is value in getting involved in the community from a business perspective.
Doing community service projects, donating to fundraisers or sponsoring events can boost business (via awareness, traffic, etc.) and take your public relations efforts up a notch. Let’s also be clear that community relations or service doesn’t necessarily mean hours. If you or your staff doesn’t have time, there are other opportunities. Likewise, if you have time, but not money there are opportunities to get involved through in-kind services too.
“Do not underestimate the positive marketing and public relations that can come from community involvement. Many people want to patronize and support those companies and businesses that they see as invested in the community. Letting the public know that you care about and are supportive of community challenges is a very good way of building a solid reputation.” - Kori Rodley Irons
So often as business owners or leaders, we’re approached for donations – of time and/or money. Instead of saying “no” instinctively, charge yourself and your public relations counsel with really looking into the opportunities that might lie in getting involved. Are there exposure opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available? Could this foster new connections with other area leaders, decision makers, or potential consumers? Does this align with the goals of your brand or your public relations plan?
Often times there are a lot more pros than cons associated with giving back. Plus, it will make you feel good and inevitably make someone else feel good too! Take a look at the needs of your community or industry and try to align them with what you’re good at or passionate about. There’s bound to be a chance for you to give back and boost your PR at the same time!
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If you’re in the giving mood we’re nearing the end of our 2nd Annual CAN IT! Campaign – Putting Hunger in its Place and invite you support CCMI (our local soup kitchen) by donating non-perishable items through 11/21. For more information, give us a a call at 239-221-2858!
By: Alex Fernandez
Internet Marketing Strategist
I can remember the morning very clearly. It was mid-fall 2011. Samantha walks in 
with a new flavor of Starbucks coffee, and a new idea for a PTE food drive called “CAN IT! Putting Hunger in its Place this Thanksgiving.” The idea was to partner with CCMI of Fort Myers and put heels-to-the-ground, gathering donations through a grassroots effort. Together, the PTE office generated more than 500 can donations for CCMI in just six short weeks.
Well, CAN IT! is back, baby – and better than ever. As the (ehem, braggadocio) REIGNING CHAMP from last year, with 175 food donations, I wanted share what I took away from CAN IT!
A couple of my friends and neighbors really floored me with their generosity and willingness to pay it forward. One of the first neighbors I talked to was a friend of mine that happened to be sitting down next to me for lunch. I told him about our goal of 500 items. He explained that he was hit hard by the recession and really didn’t have any extra food or money to buy food donations. However, he DID help in a big way, by talking to some of the other residents in my condominium building. Spreading the word was just as helpful to the cause as donating.
If you cannot donate, then please be sure to share this blog entry with some of your email or social media contacts! Every share counts!
Another memorable conversation was with the owner of a local sandwich shop. I told him about CAN IT! and how we were trying to collect food donations for CCMI on thanksgiving, and hastily committed to getting a donation ready. The morning of the food donation, he had two cases of cans ready to donate. It’s amazing to see local businesses contribute so selflessly.
Probably most memorable, was one of our “office neighbors” who rallied their entire office and brought well over 30 food donations. The morning before Thanksgiving, he told us about how he and other close to him had experienced hunger first-hand in the past, and how much they approved of the CAN IT! food drive.
Alex at CCMI on drop off day with the more than 500 cans of food!
So for 2012, we have upped our goal. We are hoping to secure at least 1,000 food donations for our local CCMI food kitchen. What’s great about CCMI is that all donations will be dropped off at the local Fort Myers CCMI and taken directly into their facility, where it will be prepared for those in need.
Please visit the CAN IT page on our website, for donation ideas and drop-off points throughout Fort Myers and Estero. As new drop-off locations open up, we will update our website and share on our Facebook page, so be sure to like or subscribe for updates.
With pantries full of food you’ll never eat, BOGO deals at local grocery stores, and a generous and compassionate community to help spread the word, there is no need for hunger this season! If you want to get involved, by either donating OR opening a food donation location, contact us at (239) 221-2858 or info@getpushing.com.
By: Samantha Scott, APR
Thankfulness and giving abound this time of year, and not to be cliche, but I wanted to take a moment and say thanks for all the support we received for our CAN IT! Putting Hunger In Its Place This Thanksgiving campaign. You are amazing. You who donated, who solicited your friends and colleagues, who took time and money from your personal supply to help others.
Today, I had the pleasure of going to Community Cooperative Ministries’ (CCMI) Soup Kitchen and dropping off 504 items! We surpassed our goal! Individuals and businesses supported us. Our team – Alex Fernandez, Annette Venditti, Christina Bockisch and Sarah Reaves – all pitched in. In fact, we had an internal competition going on who could get the most. Alex was crowned the king with 175 items!
Some of our donors that I’d like to thank include:
- Staff at Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery (Dr. Sweet)
- Sub & Pub in downtown Fort Myers
- Salon Adrian at Gulf Coast Town Center
- The Riverside Club
- The Auditor General’s office (our neighbors)
- The many friends, family members and colleagues who donated
It just amazes me how giving people can be – if they want to be and try to be. We saw the good in humanity. It was such a rush of joy to see the faces of the volunteers at CCMI when we pulled up and starting unloading items. I can’t, personally, wait to do it again next year!
Thank you.
In the realm of business clients and/or customers are what keep “you” or your business alive. Business owners should be thankful for them and express their gratitude, usually offered through excellent customer service, coupons, etc. We’ve decided to do it via a national holiday!
Thanksgiving, after all, is about giving thanks. Instead of getting into the mess of the latter holiday season and the variety of holidays and religions, we decided to say thanks and celebrate the holidays with our clients now.
Ghirardelli brownies... my house STILL smells like them.
What better way to say thanks than with a personal note and yummy Ghirardelli chocolate?That’s what we thought! So, we launched what started as a simple effort to say “thanks and happy holidays” researching eco-friendly boxes, orange tissue paper, etc.
Below is what we ended up with. A classy way to express our thanks in a meaningful way. Plus, the gift recipients received cards encouraging them to pass along their thanks to others!
The finished product...
Wishing you were our client yet? If this was our first Thanksgiving thank you, can you imagine what’s to come next year?
Visitors’ Thoughts