Advertising is all about teamwork. And here at Stone Ward, we take pride in our ability to work as a team, whether we are delivering outstanding business results for our clients or engaging in community service. We believe in building good, both for our clients and for our community.
So, it may be a surprise that when it came to an organized “Feed the Funnel” for The Pack Shack to help feed the hungry in Central Arkansas, the team at Stone Ward had huge success. As a group, the agency packed 10,000+ bags of nutritious meals in under four hours.
“It was a good turnout, even though sometimes coming into a space you’ve never been in can be a challenge,” said David Kimbrow of The Pack Shack. “Everyone who came to help stayed for the entire time, and overall the group from Stone Ward was happy to be hanging out and competing with each other.”
The team at Stone Ward after the “Feed the Funnel” event.
The Pack Shack is a Rogers-based nonprofit with a mission “to supply provisions and opportunities for our neighbors in need.” One of the ways they do this is through “feed the funnel” parties, which bring groups of volunteers together to pack delicious, healthy, easy-to-prepare meals that are given to hunger relief groups in the communities in which the parties take place.
Through community connections, the idea was first brought to Stone Ward to host a “Feed the Funnel” party a couple of years ago. Several months went into the planning of the meal packing event. It was decided that since there is a donation of dollars in addition to staff time, it would be best to have the event when Camp Reality interns could participate to interact with coworkers and get a hands-on opportunity to be a part of the agency’s building good philosophy.
Another amazing part of working with The Pack Shack was that the meals packed during the event are going to a local charity that one of our employees is affiliated with. All of the food packed during the Feed the Funnel event is being donated to Cayce Charities in Thornton, AR. Cayce Charities provides food, shelter, furniture, toys and clothing to people in need.
The Pack Shack is just one of many nonprofit and charitable organizations Stone Ward assists each year. Earlier this year, we helped The Van, “a small grassroots nonprofit dedicated to helping our unsheltered neighbors,” create brand awareness and tell their story through a video produced by 360 Filmworks. We’ve also assisted the Ronald McDonald House with Public Relations effort, and many of our employees volunteer at the annual World Cheese Dip Championship that benefits the Harmony Health Clinic. We take pride in using our talents, passion and services to build good.
Stone Ward’s commitment to building good and giving back to Little Rock and Arkansas is one of the reasons the agency stood out to me when I was searching for internships. Oftentimes, advertising can get a bad rap. When I tell people I’m going into advertising, I receive a range of responses, many that include comments about how advertising tells lies, sells people things they don’t need and objectifies women. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Stone Ward has shown me that advertising, and other services offered by a full service agency, can (and should) be used to build good. Our client partnerships are “based on shared values and our true desire to help good companies succeed.” When we help good companies succeed through advertising, we’re building good inside and outside our walls for our community, state and beyond.
