Genentech’s STRIDE Shares Gift with NorthBay’s ABC Clinic
Christmas came early this year for NorthBay Healthcare’s ABC (A Baby’s Coming) Clinic, thanks to a generous gift from Genentech employees.
It was only May when NorthBay’s Diane Harris took a mysterious call from an “unnamed business” indicating a team of secret shoppers was interested in granting a wish.
Immediately, NorthBay Healthcare’s director of prenatal outpatient services wished for dozens of diaper bags that she might share with new mothers at the clinic. ABC averages 60 to 70 new pregnant patients a month, and had 13,288 visits for all services in 2008.
Weeks later, those dreams came true.
Headed by Genentech’s Lon Ecklund, senior manager of facilities services, and sponsored by Pam Englund, associate director of Human Resources, a team of six Genentech employees decided to pool their resources and, with the help of other employees, filled 96 blue and pink diaper bags with everything from blankets to rattles and, of course, diapers.
“We are just thrilled,” said Harris. “It’s the perfect gift for mothers in this program.”
The outreach was part of Genentech’s “STRIDE–Our Culture in Motion” program, which attempts to support and connect to the community at large, while making the world a better place. STRIDE is an acronym for some of Genentech’s core values, which include Scientific leadership, Teamwork, Respect, Informal environment, Diversity, and Exceptional people.
The idea is to promote STRIDE events both on and off the Genentech campus by promoting values, outcomes, recognition and community, explained Lisa Fink of Genentech’s Human Resources Department.
The team of Fink, Dolly Rivero-Mendieta, Feyi Phillips, Laurie Pellegrini, Carrie Gifford and Wan Loh meets monthly to discuss ideas to carry out through the year.
Other community groups have also benefited from Genentech’s generosity.
Pellegrini and Kim Lee coordinated an outreach to the local Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Gifford worked with the Vacaville Art League, and Rivero-Mendieta was involved in working out donations to the Solano Food Bank and other programs.
Then Wan coordinated ice cream cakes for all the Genentech employees to celebrate their spirit of giving.
“We’re so fortunate they selected us,” beamed Harris, who said ABC started handing out the diaper bags in June.
“The new moms really appreciate this gift.”
ABC Clinic patient Ivon Munoz (at left) gets a peek into one of the diaper bags donated by Genentech. Above, NorthBay and Genentech team members met to celebrate Genentech’s generosity. They included (from left) Dolly Rivero-Mendieta, Feyi Phillips, Lisa Fink, Diane Harris, Kim Moore, Maria Escalera and Kim Lee.