1. What was the challenge the community was seeing due to COVID-19?
Like communities everywhere around the globe, here in the Phoenix-metro area, individuals who were deemed high-risk of contracting the novel coronavirus were afraid to leave their homes for even basic necessities. As a result, many of our community’s seniors didn’t have a way to get things like groceries or household supplies.
2. How does your solution solve this challenge or help? What tools did you use?
Our team came together to launch a platform for these vulnerable citizens in which they could request groceries and household supplies. The requests were then dispatched to our team members and whoever was available or in closest proximity to the individual who made the request would go pick up the items and drop them off at their doorstep. We’ve since had to shift to using Instacart and store delivery to fulfill orders since our statewide stay-at-home order was issued. But the program is still going strong, and our team has logged more than 300 volunteer hours with this effort.
It was truly amazing to see our team rally around this and bring it from idea to launch within 24 hours using Salesforce ServiceCloud, Communities and Chatter to facilitate it all.
3. Share an approved customer story.
We had so many heartwarming messages come in from people throughout the community. From a woman who was afraid to go out to stores to pick up basic supplies as she is the primary caregiver for her 81-year-old, gravely ill husband and her 91-year-old sister. From a 76-year-old couple who were in the “vulnerable” category. And from a 61-year-old woman who was battling breast cancer and diabetes, and simply needed bottled water and apple juice. Some families greeted us with a welcome party (while practicing distance of course!).
While these messages and reactions filled our hearts with joy, they were unexpected. For us, it about being of service to people who needed us most during this time.
4. What impact has your solution had so far?
Our founder, Thiru Thangarathinam committed $10,000 towards the purchase of needed items with each family able to spend up to $50. So far we’ve been able to serve 200 households with that fund, and we’re still going! Early on, the project caught the attention of one of our local business publications and TV news stations, and we saw a significant spike in requests, which is what we were hoping for. The local community has also been instrumental in getting information about this project to those who could benefit from it. It’s truly been amazing to see how many people have rallied around this effort.
At MST Solutions, we’ve taken the “Pledge 1%” but we are also committed to delivering impact in three core areas: community, colleagues and customers, which we refer to as our “3 Cs”. While this project had a direct impact on the community, it had an unanticipated ancillary impact on our colleagues. By redirecting our focus and coming together to support something bigger during a time of crisis, with so much uncertainty and unease, it left little room for grief. It brought us all closer together and reminded us what we’re capable of when we work together to solve complex situations.
