Social ResponsibilityLANtec of Louisiana’s Social Responsibilities Program began as a way to lend a helping hand in communities which surround each of our office locations. We are fortunate to have a dedicated, compassionate staff that consistently goes above and beyond the call of charitable duty at every opportunity. From food and school supply drives to participating in 5ks or lending a hand to Habitat for Humanity, LANtec and its staff constantly strives to improve the world around us.
February 2012 On February 3rd, our staff was given the opportunity to GO RED for American Heart Month! The only requirement to receive a jean/red top casual day was for employees to donate to either the American Heart Association or local Louisiana charity Camp Bon Coeur- a camp for children with heart defects. Between employee contributions and LANtec's Employee Gift Matching Program, we raised an amazing $160 for Camp Bon Coeur!!! What an amazing way to show heart! Our current Employee Contribution project for each LANtec location is filling our donation boxes with STUFFED ANIMALS! We will be sending these furry friends on a very important mission- comforting children who are awaiting surgery or major medical treatment in local children’s hospitals. Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, Women’s & Children’s in Lafayette, and Women & Children’s in Lake Charles will be the recipients for this venture. Stay tuned for the results at the end of this month! In the meantime, you can check out photos of our donations boxes by clicking here.
December 2011 In order to ensure local needy children experienced the magic of Christmas, LANtec rallied its staff to assist the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. While recognizing in this time of economic downturn, many children do not have the typical joy of opening presents under the tree. Donating to Toys for Tots is a way to ensure a brighter Christmas for many of the less fortunate children in our communities. Our staff gathered toys and games in the belief that every child, regardless of their family circumstances, deserves a reminder that someone cares and they haven’t been forgotten. Some staff members also participated in Operation Christmas Child by packing shoeboxes full of toys and school supplies to be sent to less fortunate children overseas, in addition to volunteering for a Baton Rouge “Coats for Kids” drive.
November 2011 Close to the holidays, most people begin to take inventory of the good things, or blessings, in their lives. Good health, for those who have it, is often at the top of the list. Our staff got into the Thanksgiving spirit by helping individuals who are unfortunately afflicted with HIV or AIDS, as well as their families, have the perfect holiday meal. Through Baton Rouge’s A.I.D.S Society, Acadiana C.A.R.E.S in Lafayette, and Abraham’s Tent in Lake Charles, our employees donated a total of 21 TURKEYS! One of our staff members also took time to represent LANtec in Lafayette’s 2011 Camellia Crossing 5k benefitting the Miles Perret Cancer Center.
October 2011 LANtec has a heart for helping children, regardless of where they live. By assisting Smile Train, which is often recognized as one of the most productive charities in the world, we hoped to make a difference for children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. In countries where the surgery is too expensive or too difficult to arrange, affected children cannot eat or speak properly, aren't allowed to attend school or hold a job. Smile Train makes it their mission to give children with cleft issues a chance to escape difficult lives often filled with shame, isolation, pain and heartache. After performing over 715,000 surgeries in the past 12 years, the organization has changed countless children’s lives for the better- a cause that LANtec was more than happy to assist! Beau Chene High School’s Art Club was also a beneficiary of LANtec’s mission of giving back to the community.
September 2011 Regarding the ten year anniversary of the attacks that took place on September 11, 2001, our staff decided to take on a donation opportunity that would benefit the brave men and women who defend our freedom every day. Body care items, popular snack foods (such as Zapp’s Crawtaters), and letters of thanks were gathered and sent to Louisiana soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. A total of 36 packed solid boxes were mailed overseas by the end of the project! A member of LANtec’s Lafayette sales staff took part in the Footprints Forever 5k for Maddie’s Footprints- an organization that provides services to grieving families who have lost a child.
August 2011 Each LANtec location received large cardboard boxes at the beginning of August which by mid- month were FILLED with school supplies for area children who were residing in homeless transitional shelters. The Bishop Stanley J. Ott Shelter for Women & Children in Baton Rouge and Lafayette’s Acadiana Outreach: Lighthouse Shelter were the beneficiaries of our staff’s generous donations of essential school supplies. In addition to the Employee Participation Project, LANtec was proud to take part in sponsoring Lafayette’s own Challenger Little League team! Comprised entirely of children with special physical or mental needs, the team was one of two in the nation that was invited to the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania. LANtec also financially assisted Miles Perret Cancer Center’s Games of Acadiana event.
July 2011 LANtec used the hottest month of the summer to recognize financial needs for Lafayette Catholic Services Center, which provides support to the homeless and underprivileged of Acadiana. In addition to providing meals 365 days per year via St. Joseph’s Diner, the Center shelters the homeless through the St. Joseph Shelter for Men, St. Michael Shelter for Homeless Veterans, the region’s largest women and children's shelter- the New Life Center and Bishop O'Donnell Transitional Housing which is designed to provide temporary housing and transitional services to eight homeless women with children that are on the verge of independence. One of our staff members also leant a helping hand to Habitat for Humanity for a day of service.
June 2011 The Thenstead Center, located in tiny Grand Coteau, Louisiana, provides an amazing enrichment program for local children run through St. Ignatius Church. In addition to afterschool activities, children can participate in summer-long day camps where they develop culturally, socially and spiritually. LANtec employees were more than happy to support the center during a crucial donation drive…while receiving delicious plate lunches in return! Members of our staff, and their canine companions, also participated in the American Cancer Society’s Bark For Life event.
May 2011 Seize the Day 5k for the Epilepsy Foundation: Due to her own battle with neurological issues, in addition to her son Cam suffering seizures beginning at 15 months old, instructor Lea Goodwin held the Epilepsy Foundation cause dear to her heart. This amazing foundation provides a multitude of services to individuals with epilepsy and their families. Staff members from the Baton Rouge and Lafayette locations headed to the LSU campus to participate in a day of fun, food, and education about someday living in a world where there is no epilepsy.
March 2011 Susan G. Komen Acadiana Race for the Cure 5k: Employees from both the Lafayette and Baton Rouge offices came together to form Team LANtec in order to honor one of our own- instructor Beth Canterbury – a breast cancer survivor. Beth’s kind demeanor and strength in the face of adversity are both amazing qualities that benefit not only our students, but the people who have the opportunity to work with her on a day to day basis |
