When planning its mid-year offsite department meeting, NPC’s Public Affairs & Communications (PA&C) team decided to break with tradition.  Instead of renting a more conventional meeting space, the group chose to hold its meeting at the headquarters of Family Service of Morris County (FSMC) – a long-time community partner.

The 45-member PA&C department, including Headquarters and State and External Affairs field-based colleagues, utilized a large conference room at FSMC for a 5-hour business meeting, which included a business overview, recognition of accomplishments from the first half of the year and an outline of strategies for a strong year-end finish.  Following this important discussion, the team divided into smaller sub-groups to provide hands-on assistance with a variety of helpful tasks at various facilities operated by FSMC.  The activities included:

Assembly and delivery of  tricycles to the nonprofit’s daycare center, and reading to the children from books about fitness and bicycle safety

• Brainstorming session around marketing and communication ideas for promoting FSMC’s adult day centers within the community
• Beautification of the agency’s main building
• Gardening and crafts at a local adult day-care center

A closing reception included the presentation of a $5,000 check to support FSMC’s mission, contributed through NPC’s Dollars for Doers program in recognition of the team’s volunteer efforts.

“Hosting this meeting at our site provided Novartis associates with a little taste of our day-to-day operations and gave us the opportunity to feel like they were truly part of the FSMC team,” commented Patrice Picard, FSMC ‘s Chief Executive Officer.  “Their vibrancy and energy served us well, as they provided companionship for seniors, brainstormed and offered excellent solutions for a business problem, built additional tricycles for our kids to exercise and play, and beautified our facilities through plantings and upkeep.” 

FSMC, is a private, nonprofit organization serving Morris County for 199 years, with a mission of strengthening the community in four strategic areas:  Giving children the best start in life; keeping older adults independent and in their homes; building and maintaining healthy families, and preventing substance abuse.