The holidays are always surrounded by family, friends, fun and my favorite part…giving back to the community! My name is Maggie Goodhart and I am an Engagement Manager here at Pragmatic Works. I love volunteering and giving back to the community during my free time. 
I have volunteered with many organizations such as Junior Achievement, Relay for Life and Habitat for Humanity.
These days, I do most of my volunteering through my church, Access Church, a young professional organization called Rotaract and here at Pragmatic Works. It has been ingrained in me since I was a little girl to help out and give back to people in need. I enjoy community service and want to carry on the legacy of my parents and grandparents. I don’t think there is such a thing as a Goodhart without a good heart.
Pragmatic Works Foundation and their #GivingTuesday efforts are a big reason why I love working for this company. In 2009, Brian Knight created the Foundation to focus on technology and career training for veterans, unemployed and underemployed individuals. Over 400 people have been trained through the Foundation. There is also a youth division of the Foundation. Pragmatic Works hosts multiple Youth Technology Camps a year, as well as, offers IT dual enrollment courses to high school juniors and seniors at the School of Programming through St. John’s River State College. Last year, Pragmatic Works sold t-shirts on Giving Tuesday and gave all of the proceeds to Seamark Ranch. They also collected paper products and cleaning supplies for Seamark Ranch’s White Christmas Donations Drive.
Since 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a platform to encourage people to give time, resources and talent to a local challenge. It’s a global movement that unites countries around the world and it’s a simple thing that can affect the lives of so many people. #GivingTuesday has prompted an estimated 470% increase in online donations on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and has over 30,000 partners in 68 countries. While we are talking about numbers, we cannot forget about the impact on social media:
- 32.7 million twitter impressions
- Over 750,000 hashtag mentions and
- 15.4 billion global impressions in print and social media.
Us Geeks of Pragmatic Works definitely want to be a part of the movement as we strongly believe in giving back as much as possible.
This #GivingTuesday, @PragmaticWorks is selling #GangstaGeek t-shirts benefitting BASCA, Inc! (Click to Tweet)
All proceeds will go to BASCA, Inc. (Building Abilities of Special Children & Adults), one of the many amazing local nonprofit organizations in Clay County.
I learned about BASCA through my Rotaract Club earlier this year. Mary Jury, the Director of Development, spoke at one of our meetings and gave us information about the organization, how we can get involved and some professional development tips. I got the chance to speak with Mary about how our donation would help the organization:
“It could help in so many ways such as, capital campaign efforts, renovations, purchasing of furniture, build a wheel chair ramp, and it could sponsor someone that does not have funding to attend the program.”
BASCA was founded by the parents of two children with disabilities, John and Linda Cone and Tony and Jo Knott. They wanted to create something that would give their children a higher quality of life in the community. They reached out to other parents to start this great organization. When I asked Mary why she loves what she is doing at BASCA, she said:
“There are not enough organizations here in Jacksonville. There are 5,000 individuals that could use the services BASCA offers. You get to help someone help themselves. You are enabling someone to be a part of the community.”
My favorite thing about BASCA is that it provides Living In a Family Environment (L.I.F.E.) through group homes. Each home has a live-in house parent and/or personal Direct Care staff who gives guidance with decision-making and life skills. The residences get to live life with each other in a safe and loving place. The organization does way more than just group homes. They also provide life skill development through Custom Creations, Greenhouse Garden and Life Skills 3 programs:
“We currently serve 125 individuals annually through vocational, residential, personal support and summer camp programs. We just recently began moving to a new complex, so they can help serve more people.”
- Mary Jury, Director of Development
So, go ahead and purchase our t-shirt. You know you want to rock one with us and support this great cause!
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