The InVisionary
Since the conception of InVision’s Employee Engagement Committee a year ago this month, InVision has witnessed transformative efforts in enhancing our company culture. Through increased engagement by involving employees in the evaluation, planning, and execution of engagement efforts aligned with InVision’s Guiding Principles, the engagement committee works toward the betterment of employee communication, participation in activities and events, and innovative problem solving.
To ensure accurate representation of the entirety of InVision, the engagement committee includes volunteer team members of varying positions across all departments. Together, the committee works to identify opportunities to bring employees together, create a supportive work environment, and to represent the voices and interests of InVision’s team members. At its inception a year ago, the committee gained great interest – a momentum that has continued full force to date with expanded significance across the organization.
“Our purpose is to build a sense of community that truly celebrates differences, embraces change, and brings people together in different ways than we’ve done before,” Erin Osborne, Director of Learning and Development and Chair of the Employee Engagement Committee said.
As we celebrate the one year mark of the Employee Engagement Committee, we want to take this time to highlight the committee’s most recent ingenuity – Kindness Month.
To kick off 2025, the engagement committee planned and executed a Kindness Month initiative that took place throughout the duration of February. With the help of self-identified “Kindness Champions” committed to the cause, this program was designed to promote and encourage intentional acts of kindness among our personnel at InVision.
While the Employee Engagement Committee collectively made this initiative possible, the project was spearheaded by three of InVision’s Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) – DLJ Cromartie, Zena Ezekiel, and Deb Wyse. From their personal experience, this team of DSPs identified an increased need for expressing thanks among direct support staff to ensure they feel valued, heard, and appreciated; as many often spend more time at work than with their own families to maintain necessary supports for the people we serve amid ongoing industry challenges. For DLJ, Zena, and Deb, Kindness Month was an extension of their personal philosophies and actions already set in place, on a larger scale.
“DSPs can sometimes feel like they are on an island by themselves,” DLJ said. “When someone takes the time to show their appreciation for the work we do, it means the world.”
With DSPs front of mind, the concept of Kindness Month was sparked around Valentine’s Day. With February historically known as a time of love and relationships, it can also bring feelings of sadness and longing for some. Kindness Month was born in partnership with the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to spread positivity to everyone at InVision.
As part of Kindness Month, the engagement committee sponsored “Friendship-Tines” events at both our eastern and corporate offices. During these events, people supported and team members came together to make friendship bracelets, kindness cards, a kindness tree, rock painting, and most importantly, time well-spent together. Additionally, kindness pledge posters were displayed at each office for team members and people supported to sign as a commitment to spreading kindness.
The impact of Kindness Month was felt company-wide. By the end of the month, we saw a total of 36 Kindness Champions, and 1,755 documented acts of intentional kindness – and we know there are many others who participated in their own ways.
Motivational and appreciation messages were shared via email, text and posted around the offices. Hand-written cards were delivered. Food and snacks were brought into offices and mailed to the homes of the people we support for DSPs and people supported alike. Packages were shipped from one office to the other with cards and messages for team members in different regions. All this to say, February was a wonderful reminder of the basics and importance of kindness and celebrating each other.
“Kindness month was beautiful,” Erin said. “I think that packages were being sent to people between regions not because they know them, but because they don’t know them, and they just wanted to send a kind message to let others know they are being thought of. And that’s exactly what we want – the simple acts of kindness. It doesn’t always have to cost something; it can just be a nice message.”
A huge thank you to our Kindness Champions! To those who are not identified on this list: we saw you, we heard you, and we appreciate you!
Zena Ezekiel
DLJ Cromartie
Deb Wyse
Renee Immekus
Erin Osborne
Holly Kalkhof
Allison Sadlowski
Deb Hyatt-Burkhart
Kim Love
Jenna Colussy
Theresa Vehec
Cathleen Deehan-Fuller
Nickole Pribozie
Rebecca Hoskinson
Chris Tidball
Renita Prebish
Vicki Fountain
Aubrie Werley
Roneene Brown
Sarah Rudolph
Kelly Jay
Paige Whitmer
Sarah Kahando
Berline Exume
Alicia Durrant
Cheryl Travis
Erin Babilon
Hannah Waechter
Heather White
Iryna Lutsenko
Mwango Maranga
Yawatta Sayles
“When you start something, you have a belief,” Erin added. “For me personally I can only get behind something if I actually believe in it. My belief alone isn’t enough to make it successful, so we get behind and support the people who want to drive it. My perspective is that I’ll do anything in my power to support the initiative if I believe it’s good for the culture, good for the company, and good for the people we support. To see Kindness Month take off the way that it did, to see everyone get so excited about it – I can’t find the right words. It’s gratifying, and so nice to see so many team members take it by the reigns and say, ‘I want to be a part of that.’”
Thank you to the Employee Engagement Committee, DLJ, Zena, Deb, our Kindness Champions, and our team members for this amazing initiative. The cultural impact will be lasting, as kindness is embedded in our organizational philosophy; it is an integral part of our mission, vision, and values. While February has come to an end, the engagement committee will continue to explore how intentional kindness influences our culture at InVision. Starting with an event in April in commemoration of National Pay It Forward Day, the engagement committee has many events, initiatives, and strategies in the works we will see throughout the year. Stay tuned and stay kind, InVision!
To ensure accurate representation of the entirety of InVision, the engagement committee includes volunteer team members of varying positions across all departments. Together, the committee works to identify opportunities to bring employees together, create a supportive work environment, and to represent the voices and interests of InVision’s team members. At its inception a year ago, the committee gained great interest – a momentum that has continued full force to date with expanded significance across the organization. “Our purpose is to build a sense of community that truly celebrates differences, embraces change, and brings people together in different ways than we’ve done before,” Erin Osborne, Director of Learning and Development and Chair of the Employee Engagement Committee said.
InVision Kindness Month
As we celebrate the one year mark of the Employee Engagement Committee, we want to take this time to highlight the committee’s most recent ingenuity – Kindness Month. To kick off 2025, the engagement committee planned and executed a Kindness Month initiative that took place throughout the duration of February. With the help of self-identified “Kindness Champions” committed to the cause, this program was designed to promote and encourage intentional acts of kindness among our personnel at InVision.
While the Employee Engagement Committee collectively made this initiative possible, the project was spearheaded by three of InVision’s Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) – DLJ Cromartie, Zena Ezekiel, and Deb Wyse. From their personal experience, this team of DSPs identified an increased need for expressing thanks among direct support staff to ensure they feel valued, heard, and appreciated; as many often spend more time at work than with their own families to maintain necessary supports for the people we serve amid ongoing industry challenges. For DLJ, Zena, and Deb, Kindness Month was an extension of their personal philosophies and actions already set in place, on a larger scale.
“DSPs can sometimes feel like they are on an island by themselves,” DLJ said. “When someone takes the time to show their appreciation for the work we do, it means the world.”
With DSPs front of mind, the concept of Kindness Month was sparked around Valentine’s Day. With February historically known as a time of love and relationships, it can also bring feelings of sadness and longing for some. Kindness Month was born in partnership with the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to spread positivity to everyone at InVision.
As part of Kindness Month, the engagement committee sponsored “Friendship-Tines” events at both our eastern and corporate offices. During these events, people supported and team members came together to make friendship bracelets, kindness cards, a kindness tree, rock painting, and most importantly, time well-spent together. Additionally, kindness pledge posters were displayed at each office for team members and people supported to sign as a commitment to spreading kindness.
The Kindness Effect
The impact of Kindness Month was felt company-wide. By the end of the month, we saw a total of 36 Kindness Champions, and 1,755 documented acts of intentional kindness – and we know there are many others who participated in their own ways. Motivational and appreciation messages were shared via email, text and posted around the offices. Hand-written cards were delivered. Food and snacks were brought into offices and mailed to the homes of the people we support for DSPs and people supported alike. Packages were shipped from one office to the other with cards and messages for team members in different regions. All this to say, February was a wonderful reminder of the basics and importance of kindness and celebrating each other. “Kindness month was beautiful,” Erin said. “I think that packages were being sent to people between regions not because they know them, but because they don’t know them, and they just wanted to send a kind message to let others know they are being thought of. And that’s exactly what we want – the simple acts of kindness. It doesn’t always have to cost something; it can just be a nice message.”
February 2025 Kindness Champions
A huge thank you to our Kindness Champions! To those who are not identified on this list: we saw you, we heard you, and we appreciate you! Zena Ezekiel
DLJ Cromartie
Deb Wyse
Renee Immekus
Erin Osborne
Holly Kalkhof
Allison Sadlowski
Deb Hyatt-Burkhart
Kim Love
Jenna Colussy
Theresa Vehec
Cathleen Deehan-Fuller
Nickole Pribozie
Rebecca Hoskinson
Chris Tidball
Renita Prebish
Vicki Fountain
Aubrie Werley
Roneene Brown
Sarah Rudolph
Kelly Jay
Paige Whitmer
Sarah Kahando
Berline Exume
Alicia Durrant
Cheryl Travis
Erin Babilon
Hannah Waechter
Heather White
Iryna Lutsenko
Mwango Maranga
Yawatta Sayles
“When you start something, you have a belief,” Erin added. “For me personally I can only get behind something if I actually believe in it. My belief alone isn’t enough to make it successful, so we get behind and support the people who want to drive it. My perspective is that I’ll do anything in my power to support the initiative if I believe it’s good for the culture, good for the company, and good for the people we support. To see Kindness Month take off the way that it did, to see everyone get so excited about it – I can’t find the right words. It’s gratifying, and so nice to see so many team members take it by the reigns and say, ‘I want to be a part of that.’”
Thank you to the Employee Engagement Committee, DLJ, Zena, Deb, our Kindness Champions, and our team members for this amazing initiative. The cultural impact will be lasting, as kindness is embedded in our organizational philosophy; it is an integral part of our mission, vision, and values. While February has come to an end, the engagement committee will continue to explore how intentional kindness influences our culture at InVision. Starting with an event in April in commemoration of National Pay It Forward Day, the engagement committee has many events, initiatives, and strategies in the works we will see throughout the year. Stay tuned and stay kind, InVision!
Comments (0)