DCI Cares 2024

One of DCI’s core values is “Champion Equity and Inclusion.” Throughout the year, our agency embraces this value through our work with communities around the world. If you work with DCI, you might have noticed a recent out-of-office message as our team took a day to champion equity and inclusion outside of the office.  

For DCIers located close to our core offices in New York, Denver and Toronto, group trips were taken to Materials for the Arts, the African Community Center and The 519. Our remote staff took the opportunity  to volunteer their time to the causes close to their hearts and individual communities. With our staff of over 75, a huge impact was made on communities across the U.S. and beyond.   

NYC at Materials for the Arts 

Materials for the Arts is an initiative of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Members of our New York office sorted through donated clothing and costumes to package up what can be donated to NYC shelters. They also organized donated art supplies that will be used by artists, educators and others who qualify for the program. It was an incredible experience touring the space and seeing some of the art that has been created from donated materials that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill.  

Denver at African Community Center 

Our Denver team spent the afternoon investing in the African Community Center/ACC (for our 2nd year in a row!) in two different ways. The first half of the afternoon was spent with immigrants and asylum seekers who have recently settled in Denver and in search of employment. After some brief training, the DCI team met individually or in small groups with immigrants from Afghanistan, Tanzania, Congo, Turkey and other countries doing mock interview training that included, hypothetical scenarios, practicing their English, proper handshakes, feedback on their responses and suggestions on how to answer interview questions to best position their previous experience in their home country. 

The second part of the afternoon was spent meeting with the marketing and leadership team of ACC to conduct a mini-marketing workshop to help them brainstorm ideas on how to more broadly position their organization in the Denver area to encourage more corporate donors, volunteers and media coverage. The Denver team also conducted a mini-clothing drive, collecting interview-appropriate clothing from neighbors and friends to offer to the participants. 

Toronto at The 519 

The Toronto team had a blast working with The 519, an organization working towards the Welfare of the LGBTQ community in Toronto, whether it be homelessness, counselling or other help services. The group took part in a collaborative program between The 519 and Second Harvest, the largest food rescue in Canada.   

The group supported The Frozen Meal program, an initiative that involves preparing and freezing meals using ingredients provided by Second Harvest. These meals are then distributed to The 519’s community members and other community centers throughout the city. They prepared, packed and labeled around 200 meals and got to meet some awesome people and volunteers from the organization. 

Remote Staff Stepping Out into Their Communities 

While it was incredible to connect as a team within these regions, our remote staff also got the opportunity to give back to organizations that were meaningful to them and their respective communities. Our Cincinnati crew got together to volunteer at HOME Cincinnati, a nonprofit that works to eliminate housing discrimination in southwest Ohio. They helped assemble small kits for an event they had on Saturday and offered some tips for community outreach and ways to further extend HOME’s network with local universities and professional organizations in real estate and economic development. 

Taylor Bologna volunteered at a social resource center called Bread for the City in Washington, D.C., helping people shop in the food pantry. Kaitlin Crocilla donated blood to the American Red Cross, offering a valuable resource after the non-profit announced that blood donation supplies were down 25% since July 1. Shawna McCormack showcased her own passion by volunteering and fostering with the NYC Cat Coalition. In Missouri, Maddie McNamee worked with Ozark Food Harvest, writing encouraging notes to slip into weekend food backpacks, ensuring children’s physical and emotional needs are met outside of school. While Richie Gaiser and Carly Steele Johnson found some remote volunteer opportunities in Charlotte, Isabella Schincariol got out in nature at the Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago through Chicago Cares, supporting the staff of the conservatory with maintaining the greenhouse.  

To learn more about DCI’s DEI efforts, reach out to Patience Fairbrother, Vice President of Talent and Co-Chair of our DEI Committee, at patience.fairbrother@aboutdci.com