(Triad, N.C.) – Creating much-needed care packages for the community used to be a valued opportunity for many companies to bring employees together, in one place, to volunteer their time and service to support area nonprofits. However, with strict medical guidelines in place for the Covid-19 pandemic, Novant Health and The Volunteer Center of the Triad decided to go virtual with their latest Day of Caring event.

More than 80 employees from four Novant Health Medical Centers – Forsyth Medical Center, Clemmons Medical Center, Kernersville Medical Center and Thomasville Medical Center – volunteered to help assemble 3,000 toiletry kits this week.  These employees then took supplies home and created the individual personal kits, with many enlisting the help of their families.

“This was our first Day of Caring event with Novant Health,” explained Carley Swaim Walker, executive director for The Volunteer Center of the Triad. “Their team helped us put a plan in place that adhered to all Covid-19 medical guidelines, and still allowed their employees to participate, while having an enjoyable, meaningful and safe time doing it.

Some of the employees even personalized the kits by enclosing inspirational messages, while others used fall-themed bags they made. The Volunteer Center staff started the effort by assembling dozens of large bags filled with the exact amount of supplies needed to create each individual personal care kit. These bags were then given to each Novant Health volunteer to take home and complete.  

“The Day of Caring event served as a great reminder that this community is made up of a vibrant network of innovative nonprofit organizations,” said Katherine Caster, manager of community engagement at Novant Health. “By partnering with The Volunteer Center of the Triad, our team members were able to find a new way to safely connect and serve alongside others to make a difference in our communities.”

Walker said this was the agency’s first time working with Novant Health, and the collaboration was very successful. “They wanted to engage employees in service, while finding a suitable solution to meet Covid-19 rules. And the staff’s enthusiasm and creativity were so exciting to watch. The demand to make more kits outweighed our supplies, which is a wonderful thing,” Walker added. “This was a purposeful way for the Novant Health team to be involved in a way they normally couldn’t be.”

The toiletry kits were given to five Triad nonprofit organizations: Family Promise, The Bethesda Center for the Homelessness, One Step Further, Crisis Ministry of Davidson County, and the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission.

The Volunteer Center of the Triad strengthens our community by creating meaningful volunteer connections. We connect people, promote volunteerism, support nonprofits and build partnerships. www.volunteercentertriad.org

About Novant Health
Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,600 physicians and over 29,000 employees that provide care at nearly 700 locations, including 15 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. In 2020, Novant Health was the only healthcare system in North Carolina to be included on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity list. Diversity MBA Magazine has also ranked Novant Health third on its 2019 list of “Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work.” Novant Health provided more than $993.2 million in community benefit, including financial assistance and services, in 2019.

For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.