The Stories That Warm My Heart

Ok, I admit it. I’m a sucker for heart-warming stories of real people making a difference. I’m talking Oprah excited, Hallmark channel excited. I’ve shed a few tears here and there. Perhaps seeking positive stories is my own way to counteract the helplessness I feel when I turn on the news and see story after depressing story of corporate greed and government bailouts of big business. The positive stories are what keep my faith in the human spirit.

Given that, you can imagine my delight when I learned that FedEx won a contest that showcased some of the best corporate heart warmers out there. It’s a film festival called "Caught on Video: Companies Doing Good." It’s a first-of-its-kind competition sponsored by Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, one of the premier CSR organizations in the world. The film festival featured short videos illustrating how employees from FedEx, Coke, McDonald’s and other top companies are helping their communities.

I was thrilled to read Bradley K. Googins, Executive Director of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, in his newsletter write, “The success of the film festival proves there is an eager audience for the positive stories companies have to tell. FedEx is truly a leader in strategically matching core business competencies with a strong commitment to support communities around the world.”

Are you ready to be cheered up? Watch all of the corporations’ videos in the festival.

My partiality towards the positive stories you’ll see in the film festival also stems from opportunities I’ve had to witness first-hand the altruistic spirit of FedEx team members. As a member of the Social Responsibility team at FedEx, I’ve had the privilege to coordinate FedEx Cares Week and watch it grow into a global initiative in over 42 cities in 22 counties in a few short years. One of the stories on the FedEx video highlights work done with the MIFA Handyman Program. MIFA is an organization that helps communities in many ways.

During FedEx Cares Week, FedEx volunteers got together to build a wheelchair ramp for an elderly woman in Memphis. It’s a great story. When asked what the program accomplishes, Mary Claire Borys, manager of the MIFA Handyman Program, says it best:  “It’s about giving someone access to the world.”  

I’m proud to work for a company whose people are so committed to providing better access to the world, and I’m glad this contest gave the public a chance to peek into the FedEx culture of serving our communities around the world.