Blog
FICS' Volunteers Help Provide Relief for Dallas Residents
Wear a mask. Avoid gathering in groups. Socially distance. Work remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyone’s lives, creating inconvenience and anxiety, if not worse. This year, as hope arrived in the form of vaccines, several FICS® employees have turned the crisis into an opportunity to make a difference in their community.
Five FICS® employees have volunteered at the Dallas County Fair Park Vaccine Mega Center, logging a total of 115 volunteer hours to date.
As of March 31st, the Dallas County Fair Park vaccination team—including personnel from local fire departments, the U.S. Army, Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Toyota—has administered more than 250,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses. On March 30th, the team met their target of vaccinating more than 10,000 people in a single day. On one of the days when FICS’ Melissa Hayes was there helping, the team averaged 16 shots a minute.
Volunteers are essential for keeping the drive-through vaccination process rolling along quickly and efficiently. FICS’ volunteers helped with logistics, including directing traffic (no small feat when hundreds of cars arrive at the same appointment time!), reviewing appointment information, assisting with registration, and answering basic questions.
Jennifer Cagle, FICS' VP of Loan Producer Product Development, is grateful to be able to work remotely throughout the pandemic and felt that volunteering was a good way to give back: "The quicker vaccinations could happen, the sooner people less fortunate than myself could possibly get back to work and feel safe doing so. It felt good to be a small part of making this happen, plus it allowed me to get vaccinated sooner and be an example to others who might be concerned about the vaccines."
Chris Christodoulides, a programmer for FICS®, felt compelled to participate due to his personal experience with the virus: “Back in mid-January, I contracted COVID-19. During the time that I was sick, I didn’t come down with any serious health-related issues—nor did anyone in my family get sick because I contracted the virus. It felt very rewarding to give back on account of my fortune and good health during this pandemic. Getting my first shot and spending time with friends outside of work was an added bonus. I’m hoping to volunteer again in the near future!”
Jordan Gibbs, an FICS® Web Applications System Support team member, described his volunteer experience as “interesting, especially because of the huge scale of the operation and because it’s so relevant to what’s going on in the world right now. It was neat to see all those people come through to receive something that will make their lives easier. A cool experience overall!”
Caleb Johnson, FICS' junior programmer, volunteered so he could help his community while helping himself (by getting his vaccine sooner): "It was a good time seeing so many people in line wanting to move forward and help with the fight against coronavirus, and I had fun marking cars and directing people where to go. I would highly recommend this volunteer opportunity--especially if you're eager to get your vaccine. P.S.: DON'T FORGET YOUR SUNSCREEN!"
Melissa Hayes, FICS’ Origination Programming Manager, was happy to spend her free time helping people at the Vaccine Mega Center: “After this crazy and challenging year, I was excited to volunteer to help with vaccine distribution. The folks arriving for their vaccine were excited and relieved to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I’m so grateful I got to be a part of that moment.”
We appreciate our employees’ hard work and dedication to giving back to our community. Thank you for donating your time, energy, and people skills to this life-saving cause!