SPEC In The Community

December 25, 2018

Christmas Families

This year Spec On The Job celebrated the holidays by donating gifts to families in need.

One family requested only basic household necessities, while a young girl was in need of a jacket, gloves, a scarf, and other clothing.

Spec On The Job’s corporate office and our generous employees worked together to raise $2000 to purchase new items for our donation. In addition to the household items and clothing that were requested, we also provided new toys and games.

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December 20, 2018

Holiday Meals for Students

Spec On The Job donated $500 Food Lion gift cards through Grey Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill, NC. Spec donated the gift cards so students who would normally receive free or reduced-cost lunches on school days can still enjoy meals over the holiday break.

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November 1, 2018

Movember Foundation

Spec On The Job celebrated Movember by donating to Movember Foundation, a charity which supports men’s health. The organization funds initiatives related to reducing prostate cancer and testicular cancer. It also focuses on mental health support.

October 1, 2018

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Every year, Spec On The Job makes a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Our employees also wear pink to raise awareness on every Wednesday in October.

September 20, 2018

Hurricane Florence Recovery

How/Where to Donate:

Donating money is almost always the most efficient way to help after any disaster. Otherwise, valuable time can be lost sorting through donated goods that might not serve people’s immediate needs.
Donate to established relief groups. You can check a relief organization’s charity report through the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
If you’re interested in a relief effort based in Spec On The Job’s home state of North Carolina, Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan – who grew up in Wilmington – has set up a relief site. Says Jordan: “The recovery effort will be massive, and it will take a long time to repair the damage and for families to get back on their feet. Together with the NBA, we have launched a platform to aid those most impacted. Please join me, the Hornets organization and the NBA and donate to one of the local organizations assisting in the relief and recovery efforts.”

More resources and tips are available here.

January 12, 2018

Sedge Garden Recreation Center

SPEC is partnering with the Sedge Garden Recreation Center in Winston-Salem, NC. The Center provides children in the community ages 4-15 with after-school, sports, and creative arts programs. They also support the Special Olympics.

The Center put out a call for donations of LEGO toys, because they’re the first toy that the kids run to. The Center also needs donations of craft supplies and sports equipment, or financial donations. All donations are tax deductible. For more information on how you too can donate, you can email jessicag [at] cityofws.org.

Update – February 8, 2018

Jessica Garrett Doub, Senior Recreation Center Supervisor at the Sedge Garden Recreation Center sent us this great follow-up:

The staff, children and I wanted to say thank you so much for SPEC’s generous donation to the Sedge Garden Recreation Center. The donation will go to buy Lego’s and other supplies needed to provide the youth and teens in the community with great new programming. We will be able to offer a diverse array of new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) activities to our children with the supplies we are able to purchase. We really can’t thank SPEC enough for their thoughtfulness and support. SPEC’s generosity and dedication to the community and it’s members is really outstanding.

Thank you!!!

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July 23, 2018

SPCA of Wake County

One of our generous SPEC families is giving back to our community by volunteering for the SPCA of Wake County.

The SPCA’s Mission: To transform the lives of pets and people through protection, care, education and adoption.

You can get involved by making a donation, or by adopting or fostering a pet in need.

You can also make an appointment to spay or neuter your pets. Since opening in 2009, more than 48,000 animals have been spayed or neutered through the Saving Lives Clinic – preventing an estimated 309,385 animals from ever entering the sheltering system or needing animal control services.

December 12, 2017

The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center

During the 2017 holiday season, Spec partnered with The Triangle Nonprofit Volunteer Leadership Center to sponsor a family as part of their Share Your Christmas program.

Spec purchased toys and household items for a family of four. The family had been homeless and was about to move into a permanent home, so Spec purchased new household items for them such as furniture, beds, and kitchen items. We also purchased toys for the family’s three kids, including a PS4.

From the Triangle Nonprofit and Volunteer Leadership Center’s Share Your Christmas page:

For the past 40 years Share Your Christmas has matched individuals and groups interested in donating new gifts to disadvantaged Durham residents referred by a Durham County Department of Social Services (DSS) social worker. The program is coordinated by Durham County DSS and The Triangle Nonprofit Volunteer Leadership Center.

Update – April 30, 2018

As of April 23, the family has moved into their new home!

Back in December, the family had included on their wish-list inflatable beds that they could use once they moved into a permanent home. But Spec did them one better. After they moved into their new home in April 2018, Spec On The Job CEO Jude Tallman delivered traditional mattresses (not inflatable) to the family, and also a kitchen table!

Update – January 31, 2018

The coordinator at The Triangle Nonprofit Volunteer Leadership Center who connected Spec with the family sent us an update:

I thought I should check in with you about [the family] you sponsored for Christmas. The family was so very excited about the gifts and you all committing to provide mattresses when they moved to permanent housing. [The mother] cried!!

Currently they are still living in the extended stay hotel. My husband I went to visit and it broke my heart that this mom and three kids were living in a studio suite, yes one room. The kids are 9, 13 and 17. There was a queen bed, a recliner, a small table just big enough for the 4 of them to eat at and a small kitchenette. Despite that they were in good spirits. We also gave them a Christmas Tree and money to purchase ornaments. It turned out pretty they bought blue and silver ornaments. [The mother] told me this morning that DSS contacted her to set up an orientation so that they can proceed with placing her family in a home.

Thank you all so very much for your kindness!!!!

November 24, 2017

Thanksgiving Meals

For Thanksgiving 2017, Spec donated Thanksgiving meals to fifteen families.

The meal included: 1 20-LB turkey or ham, and all of the ingredients an kitchen accessories needed to prepare: mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits, gravy, stuffing, and apple pie.

Spec’s Hartford, Connecticut office also made a financial contribution to Hands On Hartford food pantry:

From the Hands On Hartford website:Hands On Hartford is a social service nonprofit organization that serves Hartford’s neediest residents in the areas of food, housing, and health.

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November 1, 2017

The Movember Foundation

Spec On The Job spent the month of November raising money for the Movember Foundation, which focuses on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health issues, and suicide prevention.

To support men’s health issues, the Spec team participated in a beard-growing contect. We also made a monetary contribution to the Movember Foundation as part of a competition to choose our CEO’s facial hair style for a day.