Connecting with Care: Bright Future Ahead

Building a Brighter Future

VIRA Insight’s Connecting with Care initiative is celebrating a milestone anniversary, its first year of engaging employees in meaningful and intentional acts of service. In this inaugural year, Connecting with Care (CwC) has thoughtfully developed a mission, chosen Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support as its partner of focus, and organized a series of successful events, all while gaining valuable insights.

The CwC committee and board are committed to creating opportunities for every VIRA employee to experience the rewarding sense of purpose, teamwork and personal growth that comes from CwC volunteering. As the initial board members complete their one year term and pass the torch to the next board, the committee is focused on building on the strong foundation established in year one.

Building on a Strong Foundation

CwC’s first year offered many lessons in organizing and executing events. CwC Vice President Daniel Gouveia noted, “We had to create a step-by-step process, with each step its own mini project, to ensure success.” The committee members learned from their hands-on experiences and used that knowledge to begin creating best practices. “I’m so grateful to everyone who helped CwC come together this year, and I’m really proud of the strong foundation the committee has built,” added Gouveia.

According to Gouveia, the “backpack kitting” event for Genesis was a turning point for CwC. After the committee worked tirelessly to secure school essentials, the team organized 60 VIRA volunteers – its largest group yet – to seamlessly assemble 100 backpacks for Genesis. Thanks to insights gained from earlier events, like the holiday toy drive, the backpack event went smoothly. The CwC team credits Genesis Director of Philanthropy Sam Daniels for fast-tracking their learning curve with his in-depth knowledge of event planning and volunteer coordination.

The committee’s goal is to grow employee participation. After each CwC event, positive word-of-mouth buzz has helped attract new participants. Formal communications to promote CwC will continue, like CwC President Makenna Shaw’s speech at the VIRA town hall. Year one volunteers can attest to the many rewards of participation: meeting new people, getting to know colleagues on a deeper level, learning skills to help Genesis and enjoying the experiences. From what volunteers say, a simple rallying call for CwC might be, “Have fun while doing good!”

Generating Buzz for Upcoming Events

The CwC committee is already planning exciting events for the future.

• CwC is also increasing its involvement with the Genesis Thrift Store, with VIRA volunteers not only donating items but working in the store, allowing them to see their impact firsthand.
• VIRA has sponsored Genesis Jamfest, a local concert fundraiser. The VIRA team will also attend the upcoming concert together, having fun and supporting the Genesis’ fundraising efforts.
• This holiday season CwC will be “adopting” Genesis families to fulfill items from the wishlists of these mothers and children, helping to ensure that their holiday celebrations are brighter. The committee will use VIRA’s sponsorship funds to purchase these gifts. CwC will also be collecting gift wrap donations internally to send with the gifts.
• Throughout the year, Genesis will continue to train VIRA employees on how to be “kitchen table ambassadors” educating friends and family about the myths of domestic violence and what Genesis’ services offers. By educating others, VIRA volunteers have the opportunity to change societal norms that support the perpetuation of abuse.

Igniting a Bright Future

As Connecting with Care enters its second year, the positive momentum has never been stronger. Armed with lessons from its first year, the committee is prepared to take on a more ambitious event schedule, as it continues its partnership with Genesis Women’s Shelter. The collaboration with Genesis has been formative for CwC, as Genesis modeled excellence in all things, including communications, problem resolution and event execution. Genesis’ openness to new ideas has inspired the committee to brainstorm creative events, while extending or deepening CwC involvement in ongoing Genesis initiatives like childcare, thrift store support, holiday drives and especially domestic violence education.

Looking ahead, CwC plans to grow its calendar with monthly events. While Genesis will remain the primary partner of CwC for the foreseeable future, CwC will again broaden its focus throughout the year to include events planned at other “pillar” causes important to VIRA employees. Whether it’s the environment, children’s welfare or food insecurity, CwC will find the best local ways for VIRA employees to contribute to the solution. As the CwC initiative grows, its future is undeniably bright with meaningful opportunities for VIRA employees to help, as they “have fun while doing good” in the community.

by Lena Vu

Connecting with Care, Growing VIRA Insight’s Impact

VIRA Insight Introduces Connecting with Care

VIRA Insight is taking social responsibility to the next level with the recent launch of its Connecting with Care (CwC) program. CwC is a philanthropic initiative led by passionate VIRA employees. This program embodies VIRA’s inspiring Culture of Care by fostering meaningful community engagement through thoughtful and intentional acts of service. CwC empowers VIRA’s dedicated employees to gain greater sense of purpose while growing personally from increased teamwork, collaboration and engagement. Since its inception less than a year ago, the program has been gaining momentum in fulfilling its mission to give back to the Dallas Fort Worth community, known as the DFW Metroplex and home to the VIRA Insight headquarters.

Employee Driven Social Responsibility

The CwC program is driven entirely by VIRA employees, who are empowered to set and achieve charitable goals. The committee brainstorms, plans and executes activities to support and bring awareness to charitable causes. The CwC team is committed to ensuring that the sponsored activities have maximum community impact. The CwC committee voted unanimously to make the innovative Dallas area Genesis Woman’s Shelter &  Support its primary, ongoing charitable organization of focus. While Genesis is CwC’s primary partner each year, VIRA encourages employees to support the causes meaningful to them. Whether collecting food for a food pantry or doing a holiday toy drive, the CwC committee looks for creative ways to get people involved and give back.

Why Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support?

The CwC team’s decision to make Genesis its primary charitable partner was a natural choice. The committee was seeking an inspiring organization open to outside ideas and in need of support to increase awareness of its cause. The team wanted to ensure that VIRA’s contribution would be more than just providing volunteers, by making a measurable difference to the chosen organization and the community. Genesis does remarkable, groundbreaking work addressing domestic violence (DV).

With audacious goals for the future, Genesis seeks to not only help women and children who have experienced DV, but also to eradicate the problem of DV. They raise awareness of the causes, prevalence and impact of abusive situations and provide comprehensive support services to 4000 women and children annually in the DFW Metroplex. Genesis organizational values align with VIRA’s values. With its bold goals, impressive operations and aligned approach, Genesis met all VIRA’s CwC criteria to become its primary organization of focus.

McKenna Shaw, CwC Board President, notes, “Genesis, like VIRA, is intentional in everything they do, and their commitment to serving the women and children in our community is extraordinary. It's an honor to be able to support their mission while also fulfilling the goals we have for CwC.”

Exciting Ways to Support Genesis

Genesis encourages its partners to come up with creative new ways to help them in their work. The organization also has many existing opportunities for partners to support, e.g. monetary donations, DV awareness training for its partner’s employees, working at their thrift store, organizing drives for clothing and supplies, supplying volunteers for the annual international Conference on Crimes Against Women co-founded by Genesis’ CEO Jan Edgar Langbein and many more.

Genesis shares VIRA’s enthusiasm about the partnership. Genesis Director of Philanthropy and key liaison with VIRA, Sam Daniels, highlights the synergy between the two organizations:  “Genesis and VIRA both continually evolve to meet the needs of those we serve. We foster a culture of creativity, so we’re always eager to engage VIRA employees in new and exciting ways to support our goals.”

This year, Genesis’ Daniels trained CwC volunteers on how to spread awareness of both DV and Genesis’ client services. Armed with knowledge to dispel common myths about DV and explain how Genesis’ helps people, CwC trainees now have a direct hand in helping get services to more women and children affected by DV. Genesis refers to the people they educate as “kitchen table ambassadors”. Though an unassuming title, these ambassadors have a significant impact on their communities by simply talking to friends, colleagues and family about DV. From the lunchroom to the boardroom to the courtroom, everyday people effectively become stakeholders in Genesis’ mission.

Connecting with Care Creates Change for Good

Care is at the cornerstone of everything VIRA’s Connecting with Care program is doing, and CwC is poised to extend its impact. Every employee who gets involved with CwC or simply learns about Genesis from CwC efforts, can become a kitchen table ambassador to spread awareness of DV truths and replace common misperceptions about women and children affected by DV. VIRA is thoughtfully committed to making CwC a force of change for good for its employees, its corporate partners, Genesis and its clients, and the DFW Metroplex community.

Watch for our next blog on the comprehensive services that Genesis customizes for each client.

by Lena Vu

Connecting with Care, Awareness of Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support

Supporting Genesis Women’s Shelter

VIRA Insight’s social responsibility program, Connecting with Care (CwC), was recently launched to give back to the DFW Metroplex community and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. After careful research, VIRA selected Genesis Woman’s Shelter & Support as the primary charitable organization for CwC’s focus. Genesis is a leading advocate for and provider of exceptional services to women and children affected by domestic violence in the Metroplex area.

With a long-term vision to eradicate domestic violence (DV), Genesis trains community members to become ambassadors, spreading awareness about DV and the vital services Genesis offers. Ambassador training became one of the first CwC volunteer opportunities at VIRA. VIRA volunteers learned to effect change by dispelling myths about DV, which helps victims get support to escape and abusers get convicted for their crimes.

The Prevalence of Domestic Violence 

The problem of DV is pervasive, affecting millions of women in the U.S. every year, across all ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds and neighborhoods. Nationally, 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime, with the statistic rising to 1 in 3 women in Texas. The devastating impacts of DV extend beyond physical and mental abuse to nearly every aspect of a woman’s life, including difficulties at work and forced financial dependence. Genesis understands the magnitude of this issue and offers a full range of innovative services to give help and hope to victims. Currently, Genesis assists nearly 4000 individuals annually in the Metroplex area. 

Genesis’ Comprehensive Approach and 24-Hour Helpline

Genesis has taken a holistic approach to helping women and children affected by DV, offering wraparound services to support victims’ physical, emotional, legal and financial needs. The highly intentional and thoughtful Genesis’ process meets each individual where they are in their journey with DV and customizes services for their specific needs. The journey toward safety often begins with a call to the Genesis 24-hour helpline, staffed by trauma-informed professionals. All Genesis staff, from receptionists to teachers to meal preparers, receive training in trauma-informed care. Throughout supportive interactions with Genesis, women are never pressured or told what they “should” do – empowering victims to seek care at their own pace. All Genesis services are provided free of charge, with no strings attached, and clients are encouraged to utilize the services as much and as often as needed.

Genesis Residential Services

Genesis offers both residential and non-residential services. The residential program includes an emergency shelter where women and children can stay for up to eight weeks and Annie’s House, apartments where clients stay for up to a year. The emergency shelter is designed for those in crisis, providing a safe space away from immediate danger. During a short-term or long-term residential stay, victims receive personalized care including group and individual trauma counseling using cutting-edge therapies, safety planning, child care, legal services and occupational therapy (OT). OT addresses daily issues such as job security, sleep disruption, social anxiety and financial independence. OT frees up mental health counselors to work on trauma at a deeper emotional level with clients.

Genesis has the alternative Simmons School on-site in its emergency shelter, to ensure children can continue their education without leaving the safety of the shelter. The on-site school and OT services, reflect Genesis’ innovative approach to care. Annie’s House offers nicely furnished, well-appointed apartments that foster mom and child bonding, healing and growth. Through their residential services, Genesis aims to help clients grow in self-reliance, and believe that they are not at fault for the abuse and are deserving of a life free from violence.

Genesis Non-Residential Services

The majority of Genesis clients access services through the non-residential program, provided in two locations, Genesis at Lucas and Genesis at South Oak Cliff. These services include the same exceptional support offered to residential clients but by appointment at the dedicated non-residential facilities. By providing access to tailored counseling, legal services, safety planning and financial planning, Genesis empowers clients to take proactive steps before needing emergency shelter. The non-residential program builds confidence and helps women gradually regain control of their lives.

Genesis, Distinctly Different 

Genesis sets the standard for DV victim care through its innovative, evidence-based programs and continuous focus on improvement. Ruth Guerreiro, the Chief Clinical Officer at Genesis, leads the charge in refining the organization’s clinical services and training their clinicians on best practices. “We are always looking ahead to enhance our clinical services and ensure we are providing the most effective therapies,” Guerreiro explains. To improve its services, Genesis incorporates feedback from frequent client surveys and research from the latest studies.

Unlike many nonprofit organizations, Genesis is very intentional in ensuring that every donation, volunteer activity and event, directly benefits the individuals they serve. From myriad community education programs to customized therapies, Genesis is committed to delivering on their mission and vision. Remarkably 80% of Genesis’ budget is spent on mission-related activities, which is even more commendable given that Genesis does not seek federal funding. Partnering with Genesis, VIRA can be sure that CwC volunteers’ time and donations directly help women and children affected by DV. Genesis’ approach and organizational values are in near-perfect alignment with VIRA’s, enabling the Genesis-CwC partnership to flourish.

Genesis and Connecting with Care, a Flourishing Partnership 

In its first year, CwC has quickly developed a supportive voice and supplied willing hands to help Genesis carry out their life-changing and life-saving vision and mission. VIRA CwC participants have found volunteering, sponsoring events, and becoming Genesis ambassadors, to be both an exhilarating challenge and incredibly fulfilling. With unwavering support from Genesis, the first CwC committee has done the hard work to build a solid foundation, making future efforts easier for those who follow. The energy and enthusiasm generated in year one, promise to carry over into an equally exciting year two for the CwC and Genesis partnership.

by Lena Vu