2020 was a challenging year for people around the world. But, in times like these, our company has discovered that we can actually lift ourselves up by serving others in need.
For the past few years, our company, Abarca, has had several occasions to put this into practice. It started with Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Our organization has offices in Florida and Puerto Rico, and our team rallied to help people in their communities — many of who lost their homes and who lacked many of life’s basic necessities—obtain their prescription medications.
Two years ago, a group of Abarcans responded to this call in a big way by creating the Better Care Community Program (BCCP), a philanthropic initiative that provides financial and volunteer support to healthcare nonprofits as they work to improve health in their communities.
A key component of this program is that the entire organization–all 400+ employees–is invited and encouraged to vote during the selection process and lend their unique talents to the winners. No matter their level of involvement, every Abarcan is given the power to play a role in improving our community.
In the BCCP’s first year, we selected four winners. Once chosen, these organizations worked closely with a dedicated team of Abarcans to carry out a specific project to advance its mission. Together, we were able to:
- Expand efforts to detect early-stage renal diseases and identify at-risk patients to allow early intervention and education.
- Host a series of workshops for female high school students across the island to get them engaged in STEM.
- Build and supply an on-site medication dispensary to serve residents at a children’s home.
- Secure an in-house pediatrician to provide regular medical care for shelter residents, and renovate the facility’s clinic.
The results made an immediate impact on these organizations and their communities. These accomplishments are shared across our entire organization–and I consider the way that our team members came together Like Family to help these organizations, and each other, to be among the program’s greatest successes.
Our team recently launched the BCCP’s second year. And, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the support that this program offers has never been more important.
To better address the challenges that many healthcare organizations are currently facing, we’re making some key changes to the program. Most significantly, we have opened applications to organizations that are based in Florida. This move will not only provide support to one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic but, as the home of our second largest office, it also creates more opportunities for Abarcans that work outside of our main office site to volunteer in their own backyards
As we continue to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and months of remote work, it would be easy for employees to become disengaged–from their communities, their workplace, and each other. But the BCCP is once again generating excitement across Abarca and unifying our team in a sense of purpose.
As a member of the leadership team, I could not be prouder of what the Better Care Community Program has been able to accomplish so far. As an Abarcan, I am excited to work with my teammates to select our next group of winners and help them achieve their goals.
And we are ready to go All In.
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*This post was written by Adriana Ramirez, Esq., Chief Operating Officer at Abarca.