Sweat poured from Laura Peavey's brow as the morning sun intensified over the clear summer sky. But with a quick swig of water, she returned to her work, both hands on her rake.
“It was a good kind of tired. A good feeling,” Laura, the Administrative Assistant in the Tyler office, recalls. “I knew it was going to be hot. But I’m fortunate to be able to get out there and make a difference for somebody else…. And seeing the end result, it looked totally different when we finished.”
Several Datamax employees in East Texas recently participated in the 26th Annual United Way Day of Caring in Tyler. The event brought in 500 business people from the city to partner with non profit agencies and perform a wide variety of labor-related tasks.
Datamax paired with the Andrews Center Treatment and Learning Center to clean up an outdoor space for both staff and their young patients to once again enjoy. The center is dedicated to helping children with autism learn the skills they need to better interact with their families, friends, teachers, and caregivers through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy.
“We are so grateful for the work Datamax did - we enjoyed having them clean up and improve some of our outdoor spaces. They were able to create a space for our staff and kids to enjoy lunch or work outdoors on nice days, and get some much needed fresh air and Vitamin C!,” - Whitney Sherman, director of the Andrews Center Treatment and Learning Center.
For the Datamax team, it was a rewarding – and eye opening – experience.
“It sort of humbles you,” said Longview Service Technician Dustin Fowler. “We get so busy with responsibilities at work and in our homes, you often look past the fact that so many organizations need support. I’ve always had a big heart for people who truly need help, so I was excited to jump on board and be a part of the event.”
Just a few weeks after Day of Caring, the East Texas office was a proud sponsor of Tyler’s annual Cattle Baron’s Ball, one of the biggest annual fundraisers for the American Cancer Society. The organization, under the tutelage of President David Rhodes, not only contributed financially, but offered time and resources by supplying Wi-Fi for the event’s online check-in and online bidding throughout the night.
This event is part of a bigger initiative to formally engage with the East Texas Communities we serve, be it chamber functions, civic organizations or donating time or resources to area non-profit organizations.
“The words 'Datamax Cares' mean nothing without the action," VP of Operations Stephen Hampton said. "It would be pretty selfish for us to just pull from the community and never give back. It's our responsibility to give back to the community that supports our endeavors."
Even if that means manual labor on a simmering East Texas summer day, sweat pouring through a pair of yard gloves, working for the betterment of an organization, and of a community.
“I think when you grow up and live in a community, you live and work here, you should try to help your community any way you can. That’s how I was raised. You help your neighbor,” Laura said.
