June 23, 2009

SF Cleans Up Around the 'Hood

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Not only is Organic getting greener,  the company is giving back to the community through flash local actions - minus the glam factor because picking up trash doesn't count as edgy street stuff yet. To honor the Summer Solstice, twenty fearless San Francisco Organics took to the streets on Monday June 22, 2009 at noon. The goal? Clean up a four-block area around the building where Organic offices are located in San Francisco's financial district. This 20-minute makeover was directly inspired by Toronto's Organic office activity for Earth Day 2009 (http://allhands.organic.com/2009/04/toronto-20-minu.html). To make it worth the trash collection effort, the Green Team went scouting the streets on the previous Friday and handed out yellow highlighted maps of the area, together with trash bags and gloves.

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From noon to 12.20 pm (even later for a rogue section of the Finance team who got carried away by their findings), Organic employees bent over to clean up real street trash, focusing around the Transbay Terminal which is the local hub for Greyhound buses. Fortunately the day was sunny and warm, a rare occurrence for a San Francisco summer day and an auspicious sign, surely.

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Sixteen trash bags later (some people shared), three comments echoed by most participants:

-          San Francisco is the caricature of healthy living and smoke-free environments - why so many cigarette butts on the streets? Aren't there enough trash cans?

-          Planter boxes are not trash cans - sounds obvious but really, it isn't

-          Chicken bones on the pavement: someone actually staged a Summer Solstice ceremony with druids?


As a conclusion, all employees who took part decided that we should do it again. Not just them actually. At the Transbay Terminal, a MUNI bus driver noticed the trash bags and walked over for info. When he learned that Organic employees were doing their share for the environment, he exclaimed "We need more of you guys! Come back, that's great."

June 23, 2009 7:06 AM | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)
June 3, 2009

Organic Races For The Cure

race.jpgThis year the Organic Detroit office organized a team for the Detroit Race for the Cure charity run/walk. The team set a goal in Mid-May to raise $2,000 for breast cancer research. Aware that this was a pretty aggressive goal, over the past month and a half I was reminded how truly exceptional the Organic Detroit office is -- we exceeded our goal by raising a total of $2,277.

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Our fundraisers included Bake Sales every other Monday, a 50/50 raffle, breast cancer awareness ribbon and bracelet sales and Pink Day. An office T-shirt design contest yielded an official Organic Detroit Race for the Cure shirt by Tom Helland which sold like hotcakes.
 
Over 30 people represented Organic for the Race in our very own green tees.
 
Even amongst all of the uncertainties with the economy (in Detroit), it was amazing to see everyone pull together to support a cause that is very dear to my heart. The Organic Detroit office is truly an exceptional group of people. I would like to thank everyone who participated in the walk, baked and donated. You guys are all rock stars!!!! 
 
This has been a truly exceptional experience.

Nicole Lucas


June 3, 2009 7:23 AM | | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)
June 2, 2009

When in DET: The Cookie!

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DETROIT -- The best chocolate chip cookie resides just down the street from our DET office. And I say this with the full weight of what that phrase means...this cookie is the best, which means all cookies you've had are worse.

IMG02991.jpgThe gauntlet has been thrown down. And the challenge to you has been made.

Steve's Deli
6646 Telegraph @ Maple



Cards and letters of congratulation can be sent to Marta via the ThreeMinds blog as she introduced me to these wonderful little monsters.

--Mike Hudson




June 2, 2009 3:57 PM | | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)
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About AllHands

At Organic, AllHands is a word that we have used regularly. It has meaning to us. It’s collaborative, speaks to whole teams, and it’s a term deeply rooted in our culture—as it is what we call our local office meetings. At AllHands meetings, we share completed work, celebrate successes, and welcome new colleagues.

We have created the AllHands blog to capture the spirit of these gatherings and to give the world a view inside Organic—who we are and how we work. It’s a place where all Organics can share their stories and experiences with each other and with you.

If you think that you’d make a great Organic, visit us at careers.organic.com.