We Are ALL Loved

At the January leadership meeting for OPC Pest Services along with Western Fumigation, Waltham Pest Services, and Western Pest Services (fondly referred to as the WOW division) came together at the end of January in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for two days of leadership skills, strategy planning, important updates, networking, and team building events. There was even a fun Super Bowl activity raised money for the Rollins Employee Relief Fund! Attendees also set time aside to partner with a local charity, We Are Loved.

We Are Loved is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and supporting foster youth and foster parents through community building, support groups, and partnerships throughout all of New Jersey. They work toward a world where foster families in every part of New Jersey feel supported and welcomed in a community of love. The uncertainty that comes with entering the foster system and especially entering a foster home is like no other. The children could have been taken from a dangerous environment in the middle of the night and given very little time to gather their belongings. Imagine showing up to a place you’ve never been at an odd hour of the night with nothing but what’s on your back? Now imagine you’re a child.

When the simplest things can mean the most, those things are the most important. So, the team came together to help We Are Loved by… packing bags. They even donated and collected the items that would go into the bags! The brands collected things like essential hygiene items, cozy pajamas, journals, and other thoughtful goodies – items we all may take for granted – and took time to pack them into bags called “Love Bags.”

The aim behind Love Bags is to offer comfort and support to foster children during the challenging transition of entering new foster homes. Hygiene items to help them feel normal, pajamas to help them feel comfortable, and journals to give them somewhere to write down their hopes, fears, and any other feelings they need to purge during the difficult time they’re going through. It’s a scary time for both the kids and the parents, so small bags full of simple essentials can help.

In the end, the team came together and packed 150 bags – 75 for boys and 75 for girls. The time they took to work toward filling all those bags will make a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable children, providing them with a sense of love and care during a time of uncertainty. Together, they have helped create a brighter future for these deserving foster youth. And remember the Super Bowl fundraiser we mentioned? The employees ended up collecting and donating $2,580 to the RERF. Like the Chiefs or not, that’s a solid donation to employees in need! Thank you to everyone who came together, donated money, and packed the bags of love.