MARIETTA, Ga. — A unique part of the Northwest family is the in-house philanthropic team, The Good Deed Team. Founded in 2011, The Good Deed Team (GDT) actively seeks opportunities in which more than 700 teammates can be involved to create a positive impact in the communities served by Northwest.
Led by two full-time Northwest teammates and more than 30 Service Center Ambassadors, the GDT is the heart of Northwest. As much as business is about bugs, it’s about people. The GDT shifted focus in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to reassess how to make a difference when they couldn’t be together.
The team rotated expectations, looking for resource donation opportunities rather than time donations or events. During the year, the team donated books, toys, clothing, household items and more to local organizations, collected holiday decorations to drop off at Children’s Hospital and created care baskets for local retirement homes.
“2020 has seen challenges for everyone. We were so grateful to have a team of dedicated people ready to serve in new ways,” said Kristen M., GDT co-lead. “The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us to be flexible, to look for small ways to create impact. That’s what sparked our 2021 goal: 1,000 small acts of kindness across our 35+ Service Centers. »
As of the date of this publication, the North West team has already well exceeded this goal which was thought to be difficult to achieve in one year, surpassing it in June.
Resource donations will continue in 2021, including a focus on Dobbins Air Force Base where Quarantine Care Bags are created and delivered monthly to those quarantined on base before or after deployment. The GDT also looks forward to once-ongoing annual projects and events, such as First Responder BBQs and Bilingual Family Literacy School Events, as time together becomes possible again.
