Pay It Forward - The Corporate Challenge

Jim Annis, CEO and President, of The Applied Companies hosts Corporate Pay It Forward Event.

Once upon a time we were encouraged to “practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” Inspired by the concept, Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a book called Pay It Forward. The movie Pay It Forward (2000) is based on the book, as is the Pay It Forward Foundation. By bringing the author’s vision to classrooms internationally, the Foundation educates and inspires students to change the world. Students and teachers formulate their own ideas of how they can pay it forward. Hyde did not copyright the phrase “pay it forward” – the idea is in the public domain for everyone to promote the concept.

Reno residents, Robert and Lesslie Bauer, bypassed “random” and created a targeted, deliberate act of kindness and brought it to the business world. Pay It Forward (PIF) Parties partners with local companies and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to increase donations to feed those in need. Knowing how difficult it is for people to work full-time - take care of family and home - and find time to volunteer - the Bauer’s came up with a plan to combine charity work with the workplace.

PIF gives businesses an opportunity to assist the Food Bank with its Back-Pack Kids Program. Relying entirely on donations (with no government funding) the program provides bags of food on Fridays to about 700 children in Washoe County that would otherwise go hungry over the weekend. The children are living in motels, cars and completely homeless.

Where better to kick off the first Corporate Pay It Forward Event than at The Applied Companies? Jim Annis is a dedicated and committed supporter of the community.  Approximately 20 employees packed 200 bags in less than ten minutes. After lunch, the employees went back to work stimulated, energized, and ready to follow the example of the book/movie - challenging three of their clients (local businesses) to accept the invite to launch their own company Pay It Forward luncheon.

“The benefits of this activity are enormous.” Jim said. “There’s team-building, community service, fun, and helping children. We understand the balance of life is important and giving back to the community is part of the balance of life.”

Details of how to host an event is on the Pay It Forward (PIF) Parties website.

The Applied Companies

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