At Abyde, we pride ourselves on our exceptional customer experience, revolutionary software, and thought-leading education. But at the end of the day, we are more than that. Abyde upholds a set of values that guide our employees and company. Community Involvement is one of our values, led by our AbydeCARES team. It was created around the premise that even though we excel in serving our customers, we also are committed to serving our community and our people. That’s why CARES stands for Creating Community and Cultural Awareness Requires Everyone to Serve. And while that’s more of a mouthful than a sandwich from Katz’ Deli, this best represents our mindset that if we’re not giving back to our community and our people, then there’s no reason to be in business.

Through AbydeCARES, we have volunteered just over 600 hours and donated more than $30,000. Shout out to some of our incredible CARES partners this year: 

• Clothes to Kids: their mission is to provide new and quality used clothing to low-income or in-crisis school-age children, free of charge. They envision a community where every school-age child has quality clothing so that he or she may attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success.

How we support them: One of our most cherished partners, we contribute to all of their annual efforts from collecting shoes for their Kick One Back event to attending their birthday bash. 

• Tampa Bay Humane Society: saving over 13,000 animals (impressive!), their mission is dedicated to ending animal homelessness and providing care and comfort for companion animals in need. 

How we support them: During one of their Clear the Shelter weekends, we got down and dirty with their resident dogs and cats helping to get 113 animals adopted. 

• Hope Villages of America: with 60,000 individuals fed every year, their mission is to provide hope restoration with dignity to those in need through innovative programs and services. 

How we support them: Early this year we bagged hundreds of grocery hauls to later be distributed to our friends in the Tampa Bay area. 

• Meals on Wheels of Tampa: in order to nourish and enrich the lives of Tampa seniors and homebound, they provide hot meals delivered daily by a volunteer. They rely heavily on the community for support and do not accept government funding. 

How we support them: We teamed up to head out on our routes delivering hot and cold meals directly to doorsteps, easing the burden for those in need. 

• Habitat for Humanity: nonprofit organization helping families build and improve places to call home. They believe affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities. 

How we support them: Our team has put in blood, sweat, and tears (ok, maybe not the last one) building homes. 

We look forward to adding another partner to the list when we support Keep Pinellas Beautiful by participating in a beach clean-up later this month. 

Fostering a sense of community and selflessness promotes a positive culture and opens the door to team building across your organization in a way that far exceeds the day-to-day grind. Our team makes it possible to set the standard for how culture should inspire innovation, growth, and success. 

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” –Winston Churchill 

We encourage you to go out there and make a life. Create purpose outside your company’s four walls – we know from experience the impact it will have on your heart.