The snow falls like powdered sugar on a gingerbread house. The rich entrepreneur visits his small hometown and family for a quick trip over the holidays, but falls madly in love with a local volunteer. It’s the plot of every Hallmark movie. Here at PRC, we have our own Hallmark movie, and it’s been sharing generosity and embodying family ties for 13 years.
Just like every Hallmark movie, the prep, the cast, and storyline remain relatively the same. However, each year offers new twists of improvement and a little bit of pumpkin spice to the season of giving. The Giving Tree is an internal gift-giving program started in 2009 by PRC’s Culture Club and successfully executed with the help from numerous internal teams at PRC. “It’s definitely near and dear to my heart,” shared Senior Client Service Manager, Nicole Rodriguez, who shops with her son every year for young boys just like him. Nicole is a vital member behind the anonymity of the Giving Tree and has been an active Culture Club/Giving Tree participant for seven years. “I check the website for sign-ups twice or three times a day to create ornaments for shoppers which act as a shopping key.” The shopper and gift recipient remain confidential, but details including gender, age, and type of item the child is interested in are shared with shoppers to make the process personal.
The topic slid onto the table after the recession in 2008 where PRC took the stance of “helping our own first,” quoted from Director of Interviewing Training and Development, Paul Harlow. He stated that “even after all these years, it’s just as important as the first year we started it.” Paul has the unique pleasure of connecting the dots between recipient and gift. “The Giving Tree is an opportunity for us to take care of one another. People who were once recipients become people with tags (donators) all as a circle of support.” With Paul’s experience, the PRC Training Team offers a neutral way for people to pick up gifts without feeling uncomfortable and encourages the welcoming, helpful sensation of family.
Continuing the mantra of “family first” at PRC, Paul and his son, 8 years old at the time, passed along the Giving Tree gifts to the recipients. After heartfelt interactions with PRC families, his young son came to a conclusion that left Paul in awe and admiration.
“I remember we closed up. I came out the door from the training room and he was standing in the hallway with his hands on his hip. And I said, ‘what’s up bud?’ And he said, ‘I just wanted to tell ya, you work for a good company here. They really care about their people.’”
In several instances, The Giving Tree proves its reach is far past the act of gift giving; there are several layers of emotion once recipients receive their gift. Expressions of joy, gratitude, and a sense of support are felt knowing that excellence doesn’t stop as advice to our partners in healthcare, we champion it in our workplace, too.
PRC is a family-owned business who embodies that culture throughout the entire organization. From the behind-the-scenes steps of cultivating a safe Giving Tree process to completing and delivering gift requests, employees from every department are integral to making this program a success. “It takes a village,” said Director of Survey Design and Scripting, Janet Botkin, who oversees the secure system of requesting gifts. The feedback from recipients continues to promote the value of taking care of each other both in healthcare and at home. In 2020, one recipient wrote, “I appreciate your generosity. This year, this is a blessing beyond words, and more than appreciated in a VERY difficult time.”
Each year, our efforts resemble the closing scene of that Hallmark movie, a happy ending.
Happy Holidays from our family to yours!
If you would like more information about the PRC Giving Tree, reach out to us via email.