Red Hat cancels party; will feed needy instead

[Triana]

By Alan M. Wolf, Staff Writer

Red Hat recently scrapped plans for a massive holiday party.

Instead, the Raleigh software company will donate the money it would have spent to a food charity chosen by employees.

The move comes as the slumping economy is hurting philanthropic donations and increasing demand among the needy.

"We felt it was the wrong time to be spending a lot of money on ourselves," said DeLisa Alexander, Red Hat's senior vice president for people and brand.

She declined to say how much money Red Hat will donate, but it's enough to pay for about 800,000 meals at food banks run by Feeding America. In the Triangle, the group runs the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.

SETTING A TREND: "Doing something so clearly needed at such a time of year can cause employees to feel united in a cause," said Lisa Jones Christensen, assistant professor of sustainable enterprise and entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. "I think that it is quite likely we will see more of this."

MORE...

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1314667.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. That is a wonderful thing to do Hope many more companies follow suit.

That is what is meant about working together. That is the difference between Democrats and Republicans.

[Triana]

3. they're doing more too...

... and not just this year:


FURTHER GIVING: Red Hat workers also are organizing canned food drives and other efforts in conjunction with the food bank donation. In Raleigh, executives will give cash for every 500 cans collected, Alexander said. Again, she declined to name a dollar amount. The company's Dallas office is organizing a coat drive.

MODEST GATHERING: The 500 or so workers at Red Hat's headquarters will have a small holiday get-together Dec. 12 at their offices at N.C. State's Centennial Campus. Plans call for selling glasses and coffee tumblers with the Red Hat logo and giving those proceeds to charity, too.

NEXT YEAR: "I really don't see us going back" to holding a big party, Alexander said. "People want to work for a company that is socially responsible."

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Wow. Do they have a NYC office? I am going to look.

[SeattleGirl]

2. Good for them.

There are so many people who are needy this year (thanks, Prez Asshat). Anything that anyone can do would help.

[SoCalDem]

4. A good thing, ...BUT

the people who usually catered/served that party might be getting laid off:(

Like a pebble in the pond..makes many ripples

[Connonym]

6. That's awesome

I think that would be much more satisfying than a company party.

[emilyg]

7. Very good.

[Richard Steele]

8. RedHat has always been a good member of the community. This is more of the same. K&R

[Mind_your_head]

9. Very cool

but when I first read it, I thought of THIS "Red Hat": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat_Society

Didn't know that there was a software company named 'Red Hat' also. (Sorry, I'm not generally into IT and thusly hang my head in techno-dinosaur shame *sniff*)

[Triana]

10. I love the Red Hat ladies! There were a bunch of them at...

...the "Menopause, The Musical" show I saw recently. The show is hilarious and the ladies were gorgeous! They took up a whole row in the theatre.

[Mind_your_head]

11. Yep.....we're all just people ~ going thru different stages in life ~

There is no reason to disdain menopause or erectile dysfunction ..... b/c NO MATTER WHO you are, no matter how much money you have, YOU too are getting "old" (and all of the great and not-so-great things that come with it.)

No matter if you're rich or poor.....we all get "old" and live/suffer/rejoice with all its ramifications.

[Mind_your_head]

12. Never underestimate the power of women who DARE to wear ''red hats"

and wear them well! :-)

[Triana]

13. Yea!

[Mind_your_head]

18. Thanks....Nice pics!

:-)

[natrat]

14. wtg red had

[bertman]

15. BRAVO!! Corporate responsibility and compassion. A great example for others.

[Patiod]

16. We did that one year

One year, the guys at the small company where I worked (which was mostly women) organized an expensive dinner at hotel that featured a "Vegas-style" (topless) review for our company Christmas party.

The next year, I took over the party, and we had a pot-luck in the conference room with everyone bringing in something, and then took the money we saved and "adopted" two families from a local social service agency. The agency provided the ages and sizes of the kids, and we all brought in brand new clothing and toys, and the company bought a tree, plus turkeys and other food necessary for a big meal, plus a bunch of diapers and other requested baby supplies.

The social service agency did the actual distribution to preserve the family's dignity, and said that both families were overwhelmed and delighted.

The guys complained, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it more than the "Vegas-style revue" and crappy banquet-style dinner.

[guitar man]

17. GRUB

:thumbsup: