Nov 27, 2024 by IDEX Health & Science

We believe in consistently striving to create value and improve the communities where our teams live and operate, which is why we understand the importance of discovering new and impactful ways to give back. Through our charitable organization the IDEX Foundation, we donated over $212,275 to various organizations and causes near our facilities in 2023.

Scroll to learn more about our volunteer events in 2024

 

Volunteers from our Rochester, NY team donated their time and energy in November to rake a total of 5.5 acres for older adults in our community. The team partnered with Lifespan, a regional nonprofit supporting older adults and caregivers, to identify houses that needed our help. In collaboration with this fantastic teamwork, the IDEX Foundation donated $20,000 to Lifespan. THANK YOU to everyone who participated! 

Click here to learn more about Lifespan

 

The Rohnert Park team completed 74 volunteer hours at Redwood Empire Food Bank over four weeks in October. The team packed over 1k boxes for seniors in need and distributed an additional 1k boxes of fresh produce, canned goods, and diapers during two local community events.

The IDEX Foundation awarded Redwood Empire Food Bank with $20,000 donation. The Rohnert Park team has partnered with Redwood Empire Food Bank for over 15 years with hands-on volunteer activities and donations.

“I want to take a moment to extend my heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you who participated in our recent volunteer Community Service activities with the Redwood Empire Food Bank.  Your dedication and commitment to giving back to our community are truly inspiring and deeply appreciated by our community,” said Lisa Wambold, Executive Assistant and Volunteer Site Coordinator.

 

The Oak Harbor team spent a Saturday painting the interior of the Summit Assistance Dogs new building. This building is part of a new training campus with a 24-unit canine condo, administrative center, and support services for grooming, meal preparation, and first aid. The team at Oak Harbor has been actively involved in various volunteer activities over the past four years—from helping to build the canine condo to socializing the pups. The IDEX Foundation also approved a $25,000 donation in 2024.

More painting parties and activities are planned in 2025.

 

Employees in Middleboro volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South.

Throughout the day, they did fall clean up around the property and helped prepare an ice rink for winter skating. For the past few years, employed have volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South participating in spring and fall clean-up efforts. We look forward to this continued partnership!

 

On August 22nd, members of our Life Science Optics team in Rochester, NY volunteered at the annual Veteran’s Outreach Center Pound the Ground 5K at Mendon Ponds Park. In addition to a $7500 donation from the IDEX Foundation, volunteers helped set up snack tables and swag bags, clean up at the end of the day, manned the water station at the half-way point, assisted with runner registration, and cheered on the runners. Proceeds from this event help support critically needed services for local veterans. Thank you to all volunteers and participants for making this such a successful day!

Click here to learn more about the Veterans Outreach Center

 

Employees at our Rohnert Park facility came together, collaborated, and shared the spirit of giving by participating in a backpack-building event in July. The team assembled 500 new backpacks filled with essential elementary school supplies. Each bag also included a handwritten personal message to inspire the student’s journey in education and life. The team delivered 400 backpacks to John Reed Elementary School in Rohnert Park for the 2024/2025 school year.  In August, employees delivered 100 backpacks to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin.

“Having the proper school supplies makes a huge difference to unlock a student’s potential. These backpacks and school supplies will take financial pressure off the families and schools. The best part of this project is that EVERY student at John Reed Elementary will receive a backpack – making every student feel included and equal,” said Lisa Wambold, Executive Assistant, who led these efforts.

Thank you to our team at Rohnert Park teamwork for exemplifying our core values of Trust, Team, and Excellence, and a big thank you to the IDEX Foundation for their generosity in funding this activity.

 

In mid-June, two members of our IDEX Health & Science marketing team, Allora Campbell and Rachel Harris, took advantage of our volunteer PTO hours. Every IDEX Health & Science employee receives one full day or two half days of paid time off to volunteer at an organization of their choice. Allora and Rachel spent the morning sorting donations at Foodlink, a Rochester-based nonprofit “dedicated to ending hunger and building healthier communities by addressing both the symptoms and root causes of food insecurity.” Foodlink serves as the hub for emergency food systems across a 10-county service area. In one morning, our volunteers alone sorted 5 palettes (3,000 lbs) of food, personal care, and household items.

Click here to learn more about Foodlink

 

In June, Vertus High School students had the opportunity to visit our Life Science Optics Center of Excellence facility in Rochester, NY. Students were given a tour of our factory and an “Optics 101” presentation from our members of our Life Science Optics leadership team. Attendees were then able to experiment with some optical filters themselves. The main goal of the tour was to introduce the students to the world of optics and show them optics-related career paths. Additionally, the IDEX Foundation is donating $10,000 to Vertus which will be used to update their STEM classroom equipment to meet new NY state standards.

“Some of them were really fascinated,” says Jyoti Prabhat, Associate Product Manager, “and they asked very good questions!”

Vertus High School has since inquired about internship opportunities after the visit concluded.

Click here to learn more about Vertus High School

 

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, our Life Science Optics team partnered with RocDog, a local nonprofit, to host a special event for our Rochester, NY employees. Therapy dogs were brought onsite to help our employees unwind! It was an event that was, “Very, very highly participated in,” said Scott Hammond, Director of HR, “and smiles all around.  An incredible amount of joy was had. Personally, every day should be Dog Day.’”

In just three years since its founding, RocDog has grown to encompass:

• Over 200 Certified Therapy Dog Teams
• Working in over 150 different places across Western New York
• Making over 300 visits to facilities each and every month

Click here to learn more about RocDog

 

Recently, members of our Bristol team participated in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics of Connecticut. This event kicks off the Special Olympics Summer Games.

Employees ran alongside Special Olympic athletes and carried the torch into the stadium at Southern Connecticut State University Campus to light the official torch—just like every Olympic Games around the world. The group ran a total of 8 miles. Thanks to John Miclette, Bonding Lead, for coordinating this effort.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) is the largest public awareness vehicle and grass-roots fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Annually, a three-day Torch Run occurs every May/June leading up to the Special Olympics Summer Games. Known honorably as Guardians of the Flame®, law enforcement members and Special Olympics athletes carry the Flame of Hope into the Opening Ceremony of local competitions, and into Special Olympics State, Provincial, National, Regional, and World Games.

Learn more about the Special Olympics Connecticut.

 

On May 23rd, Life Science Optics employees from Rochester, NY volunteered at United Way of Greater Rochester’s annual Day of Caring. Day of Caring is, “the largest community-wide volunteer event across our region, serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties [in Western NY]. Volunteers connect with co-workers, friends, and family to spend the day helping hundreds of local nonprofits.”

Our volunteers helped renovate the grounds at the Rochester Childfirst Network, a not-for-profit agency dedicated to advancing the quality of early education and care. In addition, the IDEX Foundation donated $16,500 to RCN which will be used to improve their outdoor STEM room, build a fairy sensory garden, and other outdoor improvements.

Thank you to all our volunteers for their help!

 

Life Science Optics volunteers participated in a Regional Special Olympics New York Basketball and Track & Field event in early May. In addition to employees from our Rochester, NY facility making inspirational posters and decorating pinwheels to encourage participating athletes, volunteers also helped facilitate the 2-7 Year-olds in the Young Athletes Experience.

One of our volunteers, Karen Barry-Cole, said: “[The kids] played games and worked on simple skills like running, parachute game, balancing, an obstacle course, etc. This area of the event is largely funded by the IDEX Foundation donation [from last year]. Thank you to all of you that made posters and pinwheels. One woman was so touched by our message on the pinwheels, she cried and said it was awesome that we took the time to do that.”

Click here to learn about the Special Olympics New York

 

Rohnert Park

Rohnert Park, employees volunteered their time working at Bayer Farm Community Garden, which is part of LandPaths organization. Employees worked together in their garden to weed, prepare soil, add mulch, and plant crops for this year’s vegetable garden.  Bayer Farm Community Garden is a “Teaching Garden” that offers free workshops on composting, harvesting seeds, and planting from master gardeners. In honor of Earth Day, they were also able to acquire a generous donation of $10,000 from the IDEX Foundation to this organization.

Middleboro and Oak Harbor

Both the Middleboro and Oak Harbor facilities conducted community cleanup days. They explored the areas around their sites and picked up trash that accumulated over the winter. Each team picked up about 10 bags of trash consisting of plastic bottles, aluminum cans, food wrappers, and plastic bags.

Thank you to our employees for participating! Learn about other ways IDEX Health & Science is working to make our planet “greener” with sustainability efforts across our facilities.

 

On March 2^nd, the spirit of camaraderie and support was in full swing as the team from our Bristol facility joined forces to cheer on and support the athletes of the Bristol Special Olympics at the Winter Games in Connecticut. This annual tradition by the Bristol team embodies the unwavering commitment of the IDEX Corporation to inclusivity, community engagement, and the uplifting of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Employees went above and beyond to ensure that the Bristol Special Olympics athletes felt supported every step of the way. From cheering loudly from the sidelines to assisting with equipment to parking duties. Leading up to the event, employees also came together to create vibrant signs for the athletes and carried these signs during the opening ceremony.

The Bristol team exemplified the company's commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others, one inspiring moment at a time.

 

Throughout February, members of our Life Science Optics team participated in a month-long pet supply donation drive for Pup Stop, a local dog rescue in Rochester, NY. In addition to a $10K IDEX Foundation donation, other items including dog food, treats, toys, crates, and cleaning supplies were delivered by Life Science Optics employees Dale Curtis and Colleen Weisbeck. One of Pup Stop’s residents even came out to greet our volunteers as a thank you.

To learn more about Pup Stop, you can visit their website here: petsstophererescue.com

 

The Oak Harbor Team held a volunteer day at Summit Assistance Dogs in January. Employees braved the 20° F weather and helped install some handrails and grab bars for the new dog housing—the “Canine Condo”. The IDEX Foundation also approved a $25,000 donation. The donation will allow the organization to move forward with insulating the brand-new kennel facility.

“These donations, both financially and of volunteerism, have been a highlight of this past year for sure! These skilled volunteers saved us considerable money on construction. With rising inflation and an uncertain economy, these contributions have been instrumental in making progress in many areas,” said Sue Meinzinger, Founder/Executive Director at Summit Assistance Dogs.

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In January our Life Science Optics team in Rochester, NY participated in a Blood Drive for the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross. In addition to a $10k donation from the IDEX Foundation for the American Red Cross, Life Science Optics volunteers donated:

• 31 units of blood – Each donation saves up to 3 lives.
• 4 power red donations –Power red allows donors with rare blood types to donate 2 units of blood safely.
• One donor celebrated a 10 gallon donation milestone. – One gallon of blood is roughly 8 units, so this person likely donated at least 80 times!

Our blood drive donations directly impacted local hospitals including:

• URMC-Strong Memorial Hospital
• SUNY Upstate University Hospital Downtown Campus
• Albany Medical Center Hospital
• Glens Falls Hospital
• St Peters Hospital
  

Thank you to all our volunteers and the IDEX Foundation for your generosity! If you’d like to learn about upcoming blood drive near you, visit the American Red Cross’ website.