On Thursday, March 2nd Homeless Children’s Network (HCN) partnered up with the employees at Glean.com to raise awareness about the issue of children and families experiencing homelessness in San Francisco, access to mental health care, and volunteer for a day to support HCN.
The event started with HCN’s Deputy Director, Dr. Hazel Benigno, providing a detailed overview of HCN’s programs, our focus, and why the work matters. Glean's staff took the opportunity to ask thought-provoking questions, dive deeper into the issue, and have some fun at the same time. Once the presentation ended we started on the volunteer project.
Thanks to the help of Hannah Takuno the team of Glean and HCN staff built vertical garden beds out of upcycled pallets to provide greenspace on the HCN balconies, giving clients a chance to work with nature during their therapy sessions.
These vertical beds now adorn the balconies of our Bayview office. They serve as a sustainable and eco-friendly symbolize the power of upcycling - transforming what was once considered trash into something beautiful and useful.
The volunteer day was a fun and insightful way to build relationships and illustrate how corporate participation and corporate giving can make an impact and help support this critical work. Not only did Glean help in creating beautiful garden beds for clients, but they also donated their funds through the Glean Employee Match Challenge where every donation from a Glean Employee will receive a one-to-one match essentially DOUBLING the impact of every dollar donated.
It is no secret that we are dealing with a mental health, housing, and healthcare crisis. We see the issues manifest every day on the streets around us and Glean has illustrated what is possible when a corporation cares. Through HCN’s corporate partnership program, our goal is to bridge this gap and offer opportunities for companies based in San Francisco to get engaged with the issues. The program provides a unique opportunity for employees to connect with their community and make a positive impact on the lives of others.
At HCN, we love to have partners like the folks at Glean.
They even invited HCN’s Development Director, Drew Glover, to the Glean international sales conference to talk about the work and our dedication to providing equitable access to culturally affirming mental health care. The conversation ranged from topics of homelessness, available services, social stigmas, and even consciousness-raising in the effort to find what brings us joy in life.
We hope this day inspires others to participate and make a difference in their own communities. Big shout out and thank you to Hannah, AJ, and the folks at Glean!
For more information about the HCN Corporate Partnership Program please contact HCN’s Development Director Drew Glover at drew.glover@hcnkids.org
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