“It’s been an unbelievable two days. It’s beyond real” reflected homeowner, Rebecca, about the work that had been done on her house, thanks to Midmark Corporation. Six Midmark employees came to fix up her home during their first ever U.S. volunteer trip with World Vision.
Midmark Corporation has been operating for over 100 years. Originally a concrete mixer and locomotive company, in the late 1960s, Midmark changed production and entered the medical equipment field, becoming a huge producer in the United States and abroad. Midmark is now a leader in healthcare products and solutions within the medical, dental and veterinary markets.
Mitch Eiting, Midmark Corp. Community Relations Manager, shared that Midmark has been partnering with World Vision for more than a decade and has donated over 10,000 pieces of medical equipment in that short time. They have also been involved with making Caregiver Kits, and three years ago Eiting was even able to travel to Tanzania with their World Vision Donor Representative, Jennifer Mounsey, to see their products being used on the ground. He shares that “it’s a great partnership. I tell anybody and everybody that World Vision is our #1 NGO partnership. They’re awesome.”
“It’s a great partnership. I tell anybody and everybody that World Vision is our #1 NGO partnership. They’re awesome.”
At Midmark, Eiting explains that they embrace the “Pay it Forward” attitude. “The employees, whom they refer to as teammates, embrace it. When we offered this [trip], I had people waiting for next year already.”
“Our team enjoyed it and had a blast. It was a great team building effort. We took charge and got it [the job] done. We gave 110% and found more things to do. She didn’t ask for it; we just did it,” reflects Eiting, on the final day of the trip.
That’s exactly what they did. Rebecca shared that “they’re excellent. They’ve done more than they should have done. They just work, work, work! They even built a table and porch for my mom, with an umbrella. They are very motivated, loving, and chipper.”
Originally, the job encompassed painting the exterior of the home, replacing windows, and fixing a porch. At the end of the two day project, the team had also mowed the front and back lawn, fixed the backyard fence, painted and built new swings for the swing set, painted the back porch and railing, picked flowers, and gave old outdoor furniture a facelift with a matching paint of coat.
“Our team enjoyed it and had a blast. It was a great team building effort.”
Rebecca is now inspired and determined to help others after she has received help from World Vision and Midmark. She shares that “Hopefully, next year I can work with a group somewhere else in someone else’s house and give back all of the help that I got here.”
Eiting mentioned “Would I recommend this opportunity to other companies? Absolutely. World Vision is awesome to work with. You don’t just have to be in the medical, health, or missionary field to get involved.”
At the end of the project, Rebecca’s school-aged son gathered up all of his money to buy a beautiful cake for the Midmark volunteers, with the words “thank you” written on it. Everyone involved with this project was touched in some way.
With the help of our wonderful partners, together we are able to impact the lives of children and their families. Give back to your community by participating in a World Vision corporate volunteer trip. Contact us today to find out more.