WWT and Cisco Sleep Out to Fight Homelessness
WWT has always believed in giving back and improving the communities where we live and work. We also believe we should use our resources, influence and leadership to positively impact people, communities and the environment.
And I'm proud to say that we have a great network of partners who share our values and commitment to the communities we serve. Cisco, our largest partner by far, certainly shares this commitment in many ways. A few years ago, Cisco set a goal to positively impact 1 billion people globally by 2025.
Among the company's many initiatives to achieve this inspiring goal is Cisco's partnership with Covenant House, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and various support services for youth facing homelessness. A number of us from WWT are excited to join the cause by raising awareness and money to support this great organization.
Executive sleep out to fight youth homelessness
Covenant House works to support youth homelessness through its Sleep Out Movement. Sleep Outs were created to provide financial support to the young people who live at any Covenant House location, as well as increase visibility of the number of homeless youths in America.
I'll be joining a group of WWT employees led by LA Sales Manager, Rhonda Eiffe, to take part in Covenant House California's (CHC) Executive Sleep Out in Hollywood on Thursday, November 15th. At this year's Sleep Out, 200 executive officers from businesses across the country will be sleeping on the street to show the young people at Covenant House that there are many people who care about them and their wellbeing. We're looking forward to sleeping on the streets of LA next to a "rival" team of our friends from Cisco.
As CHC explains, the event "is not about pretending to be homeless. It's about showing a group of young people unconditional love and absolute respect."
A familiar cause for WWT
WWT has worked with organizations helping the homeless and those at-risk for more than a decade. Our CEO and co-founder Jim Kavanaugh and I have been fortunate enough to serve on the Board of Directors for St. Patrick Center, an organization striving to eliminate homelessness in WWT's global headquarters and my hometown, St. Louis.
St. Patrick Center prides itself on a strong Housing First approach, a system that works "smarter" to assess and prioritize people experiencing homelessness. The center is the largest homeless services provider in our St. Louis region, with countless success stories involving not only housing placement but also in helping individuals who come to the center to receive skills training and support for behavioral health issues.
The St. Patrick Center has long served as a place of refuge for the homeless population in the city. Together with other local businesses and individuals, we've worked to raise awareness about the center's resources and gain traction towards making a positive impact in the lives of the homeless and at-risk in the St. Louis community.
A continued effort
Supporting the country's homeless population is an ongoing effort that will require the help of countless organizations and individuals. Please consider donating in support of WWT's Executive Sleep Out team and supporting Cisco's effort to end homelessness in their own headquarters, or supporting organizations like St. Patrick Center.