Held in advance of the holiday season, 50 Trustmark Voluntary Benefits employees combined their love of giving to the community with a love of food and “not-so-frightening” fun to host a creative and delicious gift drive for young patients at Rogers Behavioral Health.
It was called the Spooktacular Food Drive. This Halloween-themed dress up and comfort food potluck fundraiser drew $450 in donations for holiday gifts for adolescents in treatment.
“Nearly everyone brought in some sort of food to share,” explained Kelley Hardenbrook, a Trustmark data analyst who supports Rogers in a number of ways to show gratitude for care provided over the years to a loved one.
“A donation jar was placed on the food table with suggested donation amounts: $5 for a bowl of soup and $1-3 for baked goods, for example,” continued Hardenbrook. “Some donated as much as $20 for their bowl of soup!”
As a mental health advocate, Hardenbrook said she talks regularly to coworkers about the importance of mental health, treatment and breaking down stigma. When they realize treatment continues over the holidays and that kids may be far from home, they really wanted to help.
Thank you, Trustmark Voluntary Benefits! Your Spooktacular gift drive has helped make being away from home at the holidays a little less scary and a lot more cheerful!
