MFS Investment Management: “Why Would We Not Do This?”
GBFB enjoys a longstanding relationship with one of its most supportive partners, MFS Investment Management. We are grateful for their shared commitment to ending hunger here in Eastern Massachusetts through financial support and volunteerism.
Corporate citizenship is rooted in the culture of MFS, and centered around the pillars of health, education, self-sufficiency, and civic engagement. Bill Adams, Chief Investment Officer for Global Fixed Income, and Maureen Bryan, Director of Corporate Citizenship, lead those initiatives—of which GBFB is a beneficiary. Most recently, MFS sponsored GBFB’s 2023 FreshFest, as well as its 2022 Women Fighting Hunger breakfast. Total financial giving to GBFB over the years has resulted in more than 1.2 million healthy meals, and that does not include total hours spent volunteering.
Adams not only serves as a champion of GBFB within MFS, but also sits on GBFB’s Board of Advisors. He and his wife, Margaret, personally give to GBFB, and with others from MFS often volunteer in the warehouse. “This may sound trite,” Adams admits, “but it’s easy to write a check. What’s hard is creating a commitment around one’s most valuable resource, and that’s time.”
“We have two top priorities,” explains Bryan. “Support our communities and encourage our employees to engage with amazing organizations, like GBFB.” MFS promotes volunteerism and offers opportunities at GBFB on a quarterly basis. Employees earn rewards for their community service hours that can be used for charitable donations.
“We work in a business where you’re not dealing with the tangible,” Bryan continues. “You’re helping people to fulfill their goals. But at the end of the day, when you come to GBFB you can tangibly say, ‘I packed 360 boxes, I helped serve 9,000 healthy meals.’”
And there is a business benefit, too. “We recognize that our colleagues are our most important asset,” Adams explains. “Doing things like going to the food bank together actually brings us closer and makes us better colleagues,” Bryan adds, “and helps us get our work done more efficiently because we now have a deeper connection with one another.”
The challenge, as always, lies in finding the right partner. “There are a lot of organizations that do incredible work but do they do it well?” asks Bryan. “Do they do it in a way that makes you feel like they are stewards of our philanthropic dollars? Are we making a worthwhile investment in our community? I feel that, with GBFB, the answer is absolutely ‘yes’ on every count.”
Want to get involved? Check out our volunteer options.
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