No one here at Market America has a bigger heart than Brandi Quinn. Even though she prefers to stay under the radar (sorry, Brandi!), I sat down with our Vice President of Operations to pick her brain about a program that you may not have heard of, but need to know about: MA Cares.
MA Cares is Market America’s outlet for supporting local charitable causes and Brandi, her team and the employees at MA are passionate about improving the quality of life for every adult, child and animal that they possibly can.
After taking an active role in the Greensboro, NC area for over 10 years, Brandi shares with us some eye-opening info on MA Cares’ endeavors, how you can keep in touch with MA Cares on Facebook and even some advice for getting involved in your own community. Read on and be prepared to get inspired…
Congratulations on winning Business Leader Magazine’s Movers and Shakers Award! How does it feel to be recognized with this award?
I feel getting recognized for my efforts in the community is the most important part of the award. Too often we are focused only on our jobs. This award helps show our diversity with recognition for workplace accomplishments as well as the work we do in the community.
What advice would you give to someone looking to make a difference in their own community?
Start with a project or an activity you love. If you are an animal lover, help in a local animal shelter or rescue organization. If you love helping people young or old there are many organizations that are looking for volunteers. You can devote a lot of time or even a couple of hours a month. Every minute that you volunteer will make a difference. Follow your interests and look into organizations which share your passions.
Have you always been so passionate about helping others?
I have become more able and passionate about helping others in the last 10 years. It started with animal charities and has progressed to helping people. One of the great things about working for Market America is the willingness of the company to support many different charities and causes. The company is great at giving me time to organize the many efforts we undertake in the community.
Market America is very involved in the Greensboro community. What are some of your most memorable charitable events from over the years?
There are so many – but some of the Animal Events that come to mind are ‘Cause for Paws Event’ that we held for our Local Animal Shelter. It was our 1st big event and we helped raise over $30,000, which helped build an Emergency Wing at the shelter. Also, our ‘Dog Days of Summer’ Event was great – we invited about 10 local rescue groups to bring their adoptable animals for a HUGE adoption fair in the Market America parking lot. We had games, music, vendors, and the Survivor Amazon Winner, Jenna Morasca, signed autographs. It was a fun-filled day open to the public, and we helped over 20 animals find loving homes that day, and raised a lot of money for the rescue groups – it was a great event.
Some of the other memorable moments that come to mind are the ones with our Make-A-Wish children Katie and Michael. Katie wanted to meet Reba McIntyre, and we helped make her wish come true. Michael was a big fan of the show ‘Deal or no Deal,’ so we arranged for Howie Mandel to call him during the Wish Party we had for him – it was so much fun to see his face light up! There is nothing like granting a child their wish.
The most recent event we held was the ‘Back to School Party’ for the kids at Pathways Center where we sponsored over 20 kids with all the necessary items for going back to school – everything from clothing and shoes to backpacks and other school supplies. Shopping for the kids was fun, but the best part of the event was the ‘Back to School’ party we had for them. We all enjoyed cake and passed out the gifts – it was like Christmas for them, and it still gives me chills to this day. The looks on the kids’ faces and their moms’ were priceless – they couldn’t believe that it was all for them, and they were so appreciative. There are so many memorable experiences; I could go on and on…
We hear MA Cares has joined the world of social media – can you share some details about the launch?
We have launched the MA Cares Facebook page to be followed by the MA Cares interactive website and Twitter accounts for the US and Canada, with the long-term goal of branching out internationally. We’d love for you to “Like” our Facebook page and come see what MA Cares is all about. Be sure to share it with your friends, and help us get the word out!