At ECS, a key tenet of our core values is “community.” ECSers are always striving to make life better for our friends and neighbors through philanthropic and volunteer efforts. Every quarter, ECS awards a series of grants through the ECS Engage program, which allows full-time employees to apply for monetary donations directly supporting their favorite charities.
In the first quarter of 2024, seven charitable organizations received ECS Engage grants. These grants support a wide range of causes, from helping military veterans transition to civilian life to supporting the mental health efforts of girls.
Read about the causes our Q1 ECS Engage grants are supporting and the ECS employees who made it happen.
- Women In Technology
- Substance Abuse Free Environment (SAFE)
- Cybervets.org
- Next Step Farms
- UpsideDown Moments
- Guiding Eyes for the Blind
- MH Boxes
NOMINATED BY:
Jacquelyn Morris
Project Manager
Women in Technology (WIT) serves the educational, professional, and personal needs of women in tech through interactive programming and fostered connections. Their Mentor-Protégé program pairs mentors with young professionals looking for insight, direction, and knowledge for career advancement and success.
“I joined Women In Technology in January of 2023 when I was accepted as a mentor for young women in the tech world. I’ve enjoyed my time so much that I now serve on the organization’s program committee board as the event coordinator!” – Jacquelyn Morris
NOMINATED BY:
Carissa Henry
Senior Consultant
Substance Abuse Free Environment Inc. (SAFE) has been serving Chesterfield County, Virginia, a suburban/rural county of 319,000 residents south of the City of Richmond, since 1999. SAFE utilizes awareness and education, community partnerships, youth leadership, and advocacy to address substance abuse issues. The coalition works to create community-level change in behaviors and attitudes relating to substance abuse.
“Recently, our organization worked with the school system to develop a Recovery Highschool, the first of its kind in the state. In this model, kids struggling with substance abuse can get treatment and education, ultimately graduating sober!” – Carissa Henry
NOMINATED BY:
Joe Lemanek
Senior Capture Manager
Cybervets.org is a non-profit (501(c)(3) organization dedicated to equipping transitioning active-duty service members and veterans with the essential cybersecurity skills and knowledge needed to excel in the high-demand field.
Since I started working with Cybervets, I have had the opportunity to coach 15 service members from various branches providing guidance and support during their transition from military life to civilian careers. All 15 service members are currently employed within the cybersecurity field! – Joe Lemanek
NOMINATED BY:
Meghin Dorning
Senior Project Control Analyst
Next Step Farms provides a hands-on program for intellectually and developmentally disabled adults where they can learn to grow and prepare farm-fresh proteins, produce, and products — all in the wholesome environment of a real working farm. Their mission is to provide a safe and nurturing place where their students can learn the job skills they need to live meaningful, fulfilling lives.
“I’ve been volunteering with Next Step Farms for four years now. The highlight for me is our annual Jams and Jelly Sell which the adults with special needs make themselves! Have you ever heard of Corn Cob Jelly? If not, it’s amazing. You have to try!” – Meghin Dorning
NOMINATED BY:
Charlotte Hodges
Senior Payroll Manager
UpsideDown Moments is a 501c(3) organization providing clothing and household items to youth in foster care as well as at-risk youth in Loudoun County, Virginia and surrounding areas. The organization helps children entering foster care and young adults who have aged out of the foster care system by helping them set up their first homes.
“When a child enters foster care or moves to a new home, the experience can be traumatic and disorienting. UpsideDown Moments helps provide these children with a sense of normalcy and ensures they start their new life with much needed comforts and necessities.” – Charlotte Hodges
NOMINATED BY:
Martin Klein
Vice President, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence
Guiding Eyes has nearly 70 years of experience in providing guide dogs to people with vision loss. The organization estimates that more than 10,000 service dog teams have graduated since their founding in 1954. Approximately 100 guide dogs are placed annually with over 1,700 volunteers supporting their mission.
For the last five years, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Vice President Martin Klein’s family has been helping raise guide dogs for the organization.
NOMINATED BY:
Carissa Henry
Senior Consultant
MH Boxes aims to remove the stigma surrounding mental health among Black girls by providing curated toolboxes that promote self-care, resilience, and open conversations. Their goal is to foster a world where Black girls confidently embrace their mental health, break barriers, and build supportive communities.
“Growing up in a bi-racial home, my daughter realized the disparities between discussing mental health in white families and in black families. As a 12-year-old girl who had struggled with her mental health, she decided to create boxes with tools that have helped her cope with her anxiety and emotions. These boxes are facilitating conversations about mental health in a community that is underserved and otherwise not talking about the issue.” – Carissa Henry
