When working overnight is worth it

The results of the 2016 24-Hour Give

An overnight rebrand isn’t… well… practical.

It takes extra amounts of coordination, efficiency, brainpower, team spirit, and caffeine. Lots and lots of caffeine.

Perhaps the impossibility of the idea is what makes it so meaningful that for the third year in a row, we were able to step back at the end of 24 hours and say, “We did it!”

Meaning we did something that will made a real difference for an organization that really, truly deserves it.

We are proud to introduce you to Meals That Connect. It’s an organization that has been serving the seniors of San Luis Obispo County with dedication for years. This nonprofit provides daily nutritious meals to SLO County residents ages 60 and older. Seniors gather together at noontime to eat in dining rooms, and volunteers also deliver meals to homebound seniors, using these deliveries as an opportunity to check in on them and make sure everything is okay.

The deeper we got into the rebrand, the closer this nonprofit grew to our hearts, as it sunk in how vital this service is for seniors. The number of seniors here in San Luis Obispo County who don’t get enough food is far more than any of us realize. Thirty-nine percent of seniors sacrifice food to pay for medical care, and some of them share meals with their animal companions so that they can both eat.

Every year, this event reminds us why it isn’t standard practice for companies to ask their employees to work 24 hours at a time. But every ounce of stress and exhaustion is worth it when it comes with the knowledge that we’re helping to provide visibility to an organization that needs the public to know how much their work means for seniors here in our county.

Thanks to the contributions of our team of partners, from November 10-11, we:

• Helped the nonprofit select a name that represents what they do

• Designed a new logo and brand identity

• Put together and placed a series of print, digital, TV and radio advertisements

• Developed and launched a brand new website

• Revamped their Facebook page and wrote a social media content strategy

• Created a public relations plan, including an initial set of press releases

• Wrote a complete marketing plan, including strategies for using all of these brand elements moving forward

Additionally, this year we introduced our Give-a-thon, in which we asked our community to make financial pledges and drop off in-kind donations for Meals That Connect.

The Give-a-thon saw major success, raising $2,765 for as well as a collection of brand new donated items that will be given to the seniors as holiday gifts.

We want to extend a huge thank-you to every organization and individual that supported us and contributed to the 2016 24-Hour Give. Because of your support, Meals That Connect is armed with tools and strategies that will help them communicate to the public what they do and why it’s important to get involved with their mission.

You can get involved, too. Visit mealsthatconnect.org to learn more.