It MUST be Spring with IST's Fundraising

IST's Gives Back

Our decision to transition to quarterly initiatives has proven incredibly beneficial. This change allows our IST Family to focus our attention and efforts more singularly with each season, yielding greater support for the causes we care about.

RECAP: Our Q1 #GiveHealthy Food Drive

At the beginning of the year, we partnered with #GiveHealthy to host a virtual fresh food drive to battle food insecurity in America. In total, we raised 2,161 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables. Thank You to #GiveHealthy, the sites that participated, and to every one of the 25 donors who could make this happen!

Here are the final donation amounts:

• Atlanta, GA (Georgia Food Bank Association): 861 lbs.
• Boston, MA (Greater Boston Food Bank): 533 lbs.
• New York City, NY (City Harvest): 515 lbs. 
• Philadelphia/Pittsburgh, PA (Philabundance): 229 lbs.
• Chicago, IL (Greater Chicago Food Depository): 23 lbs.

Jumping into Spring with MUST Ministries 

The spring season has brought many incredible opportunities for IST Gives Back to collaborate with MUST Ministries, our longtime partner, and teacher, in centering service through business. MUST's success in creating a positive community impact while bringing local businesses and organizations together inspires IST Gives Back's mission. 

This month, our Events team assembled a Mother's Day Celebration for the fantastic moms at the Hope House. We are proud to support hard-working and selfless mothers of all backgrounds. Last month, IST hosted a Spring Fling celebration for families at the Hope House in Marietta, GA. From Bouncy Castles to Face Painting, attendees and volunteers shared a fun-filled afternoon under beautiful warm weather. 

Since its opening in 2022, the Hope House has served countless families, continuing to grow in its ability to support housing insecurity in the greater Atlanta community. Within the Hope House is MUST's Family Resource Center, which provides a space for school-aged children to access technology, WiFi, and academic support. Last year, IST Gives Back supplied 130+ laptops to the Family Resource Center, and we continue to provide a minimum of 15 monthly. 

On April 13th, IST was proud to be the presenting (three-star) sponsor at the "Grand Ole Roxy" MUST Ministries Giving Gala, which included a Live and Silent Auction. In addition to supporting the auctions, IST CEO and President Hal Blackman spoke of community, overcoming hardship, and the connections we can make that will last a lifetime alongside MUST Ministries CEO and longtime friend Ike Reighard. 

IST's 2024 Great Strides CFF Campaign

In the second quarter of 2024, our annual Great Strides & Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Fundraiser began with the slogan "Fighting for Every Breath." With a month left in our campaign, we have raised half of our $30k goal and aren't finished yet! We are proud to continue hosting our annual IST Kids Fun Zone at the Atlanta Great Strides Walk on May 18th, 2024, in Suwanee, GA.

A key aspect of an effective fundraising campaign is developing creative ways to get the word out while building participation. At IST, we have always embraced the opportunity for service to bring our employees and teams together nationwide, developing relationships to support a single cause. As our campaign has grown each year, our Events Team, Marketing Team, and Managers have continued to create new ideas and strategies to promote our cause best and make a more significant impact. 

Our outstanding corporate and operations leaders work to establish personable and lasting connections with clients, vendors, and any member of the IST Family. At the corporate level, we are grateful to partner again with Hilton Atlanta and Atlantis Bahamas to offer the opportunity to win a complimentary stay. In addition, we will be hosting a Chili Cook-Off with the no-hassle option to donate from a payroll deduction. At the site level, we celebrate our ROMs for their fundraising impacts: Regional Operations Manager Darrin Brennan developed a "Fitness Challenge" program to share his expertise and support Great Strides. Regional Operations Manager David Bednarz raised donations by hosting a "Jeans Day" for his employees. 

If you'd like to help us reach our fundraising goal, please donate here!

Looking Forward to Quarter 3 (Q3)

In July, IST Gives Back will begin our Back-to-School Q3 Supply Drive. For the second year, we will partner with Ticket-To-Dream to provide necessary school supplies to foster children in our community. With so many burdens and trials facing children within the American foster system daily, being prepared for the school year is one IST Gives Back, and Ticket-To-Dream wants to make that much easier. With the custom online Target Registry, supporting our campaign is as easy as a couple of clicks from your phone. Thank You to all who support our various initiatives and efforts to impact our community positively.