Community Engagement
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”
Jul 1, 2024
by
IDEX Health & Science
We believe in consistently striving to create value and improve the communities where our teams live and operate, which is why we understand the importance of discovering new and impactful ways to give back. Through our charitable organization the IDEX Foundation, we donated over $212,275 to various organizations and causes near our facilities in 2023.
Scroll to learn more about our volunteer events in 2024.
In mid-June, two members of our IDEX Health & Science marketing team, Allora Campbell and Rachel Harris, took advantage of our volunteer PTO hours. Every IDEX Health & Science employee receives one full day or two half days of paid time off to volunteer at an organization of their choice. Allora and Rachel spent the morning sorting donations at Foodlink, a Rochester-based nonprofit “dedicated to ending hunger and building healthier communities by addressing both the symptoms and root causes of food insecurity.” Foodlink serves as the hub for emergency food systems across a 10-county service area. In one morning, our volunteers alone sorted 5 palettes (3,000 lbs) of food, personal care, and household items.
Click here to learn more about Foodlink
In June, Vertus High School students had the opportunity to visit our Life Science Optics Center of Excellence facility in Rochester, NY. Students were given a tour of our factory and an “Optics 101” presentation from our members of our Life Science Optics leadership team. Attendees were then able to experiment with some optical filters themselves. The main goal of the tour was to introduce the students to the world of optics and show them optics-related career paths. Additionally, the IDEX Foundation is donating $10,000 to Vertus which will be used to update their STEM classroom equipment to meet new NY state standards.
“Some of them were really fascinated,” says Jyoti Prabhat, Associate Product Manager, “and they asked very good questions!”
Vertus High School has since inquired about internship opportunities after the visit concluded.
Click here to learn more about Vertus High School
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, our Life Science Optics team partnered with RocDog, a local nonprofit, to host a special event for our Rochester, NY employees. Therapy dogs were brought onsite to help our employees unwind! It was an event that was, “Very, very highly participated in,” said Scott Hammond, Director of HR, “and smiles all around. An incredible amount of joy was had. Personally, every day should be Dog Day.’”
In just three years since its founding, RocDog has grown to encompass:
- Over 200 Certified Therapy Dog Teams
- Working in over 150 different places across Western New York
- Making over 300 visits to facilities each and every month
Click here to learn more about RocDog
Recently, members of our Bristol team participated in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics of Connecticut. This event kicks off the Special Olympics Summer Games.
Employees ran alongside Special Olympic athletes and carried the torch into the stadium at Southern Connecticut State University Campus to light the official torch—just like every Olympic Games around the world. The group ran a total of 8 miles. Thanks to John Miclette, Bonding Lead, for coordinating this effort.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) is the largest public awareness vehicle and grass-roots fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Annually, a three-day Torch Run occurs every May/June leading up to the Special Olympics Summer Games. Known honorably as Guardians of the Flame®, law enforcement members and Special Olympics athletes carry the Flame of Hope into the Opening Ceremony of local competitions, and into Special Olympics State, Provincial, National, Regional, and World Games.
Learn more about the Special Olympics Connecticut.
On May 23rd, Life Science Optics employees from Rochester, NY volunteered at United Way of Greater Rochester’s annual Day of Caring. Day of Caring is, “the largest community-wide volunteer event across our region, serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties [in Western NY]. Volunteers connect with co-workers, friends, and family to spend the day helping hundreds of local nonprofits.”
Our volunteers helped renovate the grounds at the Rochester Childfirst Network, a not-for-profit agency dedicated to advancing the quality of early education and care. In addition, the IDEX Foundation donated $16,500 to RCN which will be used to improve their outdoor STEM room, build a fairy sensory garden, and other outdoor improvements.
Thank you to all our volunteers for their help!
Life Science Optics volunteers participated in a Regional Special Olympics New York Basketball and Track & Field event in early May. In addition to employees from our Rochester, NY facility making inspirational posters and decorating pinwheels to encourage participating athletes, volunteers also helped facilitate the 2-7 Year-olds in the Young Athletes Experience.
One of our volunteers, Karen Barry-Cole, said: “[The kids] played games and worked on simple skills like running, parachute game, balancing, an obstacle course, etc. This area of the event is largely funded by the IDEX Foundation donation [from last year]. Thank you to all of you that made posters and pinwheels. One woman was so touched by our message on the pinwheels, she cried and said it was awesome that we took the time to do that.”
Click here to learn about the Special Olympics New York
Rohnert Park
Rohnert Park, employees volunteered their time working at Bayer Farm Community Garden, which is part of LandPaths organization. Employees worked together in their garden to weed, prepare soil, add mulch, and plant crops for this year’s vegetable garden. Bayer Farm Community Garden is a “Teaching Garden” that offers free workshops on composting, harvesting seeds, and planting from master gardeners. In honor of Earth Day, they were also able to acquire a generous donation of $10,000 from the IDEX Foundation to this organization.
Middleboro and Oak Harbor
Both the Middleboro and Oak Harbor facilities conducted community cleanup days. They explored the areas around their sites and picked up trash that accumulated over the winter. Each team picked up about 10 bags of trash consisting of plastic bottles, aluminum cans, food wrappers, and plastic bags.
Thank you to our employees for participating! Learn about other ways IDEX Health & Science is working to make our planet “greener” with sustainability efforts across our facilities.
On March 2nd, the spirit of camaraderie and support was in full swing as the team from our Bristol facility joined forces to cheer on and support the athletes of the Bristol Special Olympics at the Winter Games in Connecticut. This annual tradition by the Bristol team embodies the unwavering commitment of the IDEX Corporation to inclusivity, community engagement, and the uplifting of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Employees went above and beyond to ensure that the Bristol Special Olympics athletes felt supported every step of the way. From cheering loudly from the sidelines to assisting with equipment to parking duties. Leading up to the event, employees also came together to create vibrant signs for the athletes and carried these signs during the opening ceremony.
The Bristol team exemplified the company's commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others, one inspiring moment at a time.
Throughout February, members of our Life Science Optics team participated in a month-long pet supply donation drive for Pup Stop, a local dog rescue in Rochester, NY. In addition to a $10K IDEX Foundation donation, other items including dog food, treats, toys, crates, and cleaning supplies were delivered by Life Science Optics employees Dale Curtis and Colleen Weisbeck. One of Pup Stop’s residents even came out to greet our volunteers as a thank you.
To learn more about Pup Stop, you can visit their website here: petsstophererescue.com
The Oak Harbor Team held a volunteer day at Summit Assistance Dogs in January. Employees braved the 20° F weather and helped install some handrails and grab bars for the new dog housing—the “Canine Condo”. The IDEX Foundation also approved a $25,000 donation. The donation will allow the organization to move forward with insulating the brand-new kennel facility.
“These donations, both financially and of volunteerism, have been a highlight of this past year for sure! These skilled volunteers saved us considerable money on construction. With rising inflation and an uncertain economy, these contributions have been instrumental in making progress in many areas,” said Sue Meinzinger, Founder/Executive Director at Summit Assistance Dogs.
In January our Life Science Optics team in Rochester, NY participated in a Blood Drive for the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross. In addition to a $10k donation from the IDEX Foundation for the American Red Cross, Life Science Optics volunteers donated:
- 31 units of blood – Each donation saves up to 3 lives.
- 4 power red donations –Power red allows donors with rare blood types to donate 2 units of blood safely.
- One donor celebrated a 10 gallon donation milestone. – One gallon of blood is roughly 8 units, so this person likely donated at least 80 times!
Our blood drive donations directly impacted local hospitals including:
- URMC-Strong Memorial Hospital
- SUNY Upstate University Hospital Downtown Campus
- Albany Medical Center Hospital
- Glens Falls Hospital
- St Peters Hospital
Thank you to all our volunteers and the IDEX Foundation for your generosity! If you’d like to learn about upcoming blood drive near you, visit the American Red Cross’ website.