I love working with new people — they have fresh ideas, try things I hadn’t thought of, and see with a perspective that challenges me to look again at a challenge, an issue — even listen to new musicians or read books I would have glossed over. So, I’ve asked Cory Fetter to write for Soft Pitch and he’s going to be specifically looking at what Avnet employees are doing in the community around the globe. Cory is an intern who joined the Avnet team a few months ago. He’s helping us understand better how to reach college students and (I hope) learning a little bit about the inner workings of a Fortune 500 company at th same time.
Here’s his first post on a group of Avnet employees in Minnesota:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
-Margaret Mead
I think whether it’s a small or large group, Avnet employees are changing the world and this couldn’t be exemplified any more than by the EM Bloomington branch in Minneapolis Minnesota. They were able to raise $200 and more than 200 toys for the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation.
When speaking with Gib Bendell, supervisor of sales and marketing at the Bloomington branch, I couldn’t help but think about a recent article that I read titled, “Happiness Can Spread Among People Like a Contagion, Study Indicates” by Rob Stein in the Washington Post. The study that he is referring to in his article was conducted with more than 4,700 people that were followed for over 20 years. Stein wrote, “Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other.”
I believe that not only does giving to others evoke happiness but the simple act of giving can spread to others throughout the office, just as this study suggests. “It was really positive,” said Bendell. “The people were checking the box on a daily basis to see how we were coming along and on days when it was filling up faster, you could definitely hear about it.” The giving frenzy wasn’t just confined to the Avnet employees. Bendell said they had noteworthy support from local suppliers, saying that at least a dozen came in and donated. Thanks to their efforts, many more kids this year will have a happy holiday on Christmas.
Whether it’s down the street or across the world, Avnet employees are helping out wherever and whenever possible. So, don’t hesitate to get up and do something, even if you think you don’t have enough support, because even the smallest effort can spread like wildfire and change the world.
Cory Fetter