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When Joe Reynolds, a physician recruiter with our CompHealth division in Salt Lake City, got back from his church mission to India in 2008, he knew he wanted to make a lasting impact on the country in some way. So, when he partnered with the Kaiizen Foundation, a nonprofit that benefits the lives of underprivileged children, he planted a seed in the organization's ear to send teens and families to India for service trips.
"They were already taking people to Mexico," explains Joe. "In 2010, I asked if they wanted to go to India, and we've been going every year since then. And we don't just take kids involved with Kaiizen we take families, retirees, college students and anyone who wants to be involved."
"We spend about two weeks in India every summer," Joe says. "Half the time we spend touring and just learning the culture — yoga on rooftops, visiting Varanasi, which is a pilgrimage site for Hindus on the banks of the Ganges, experiencing ceremonies going on around the river, going to the Taj Mahal. The other half of the time we spend at an orphanage in southwest India called Our Home, where we teach classes and do projects to help improve the physical situation there."
One of these projects included planting 500 pepper trees for locals to generate income. Another project took the form of building computers for Our Home's school that also serves the surrounding communities. Others included providing tiles and paint for a new girls' dormitory and building a safe kitchen for the orphanage.
In fact, the orphanage is constantly asking when Kaiizen volunteers are coming back. Joe is also contacted around the clock as Our Home's unofficial consultant. "They'll text me regularly and ask, 'What do you think about this?' or 'Do you think we could do this in the future?'"
While it's easy to get carried away with all of the service opportunities in India, Joe chooses to focus on the little things. "There are huge problems in India, but it's the small things that make people's lives better. The everyday stress we have about everything our cars, food and more has really been put into perspective. It may not seem like there's time to make a difference, but there always is."
As for working for a company that has the same mission to make a difference in communities, Joe can't stress how valuable that is for him. "Being in a company where people are the priority, and where we have volunteer time off to pursue things we're passionate about, that really makes me feel good about working here."
It’s the little things: Joe Reynolds makes long-term impact in India through small projects
When Joe Reynolds, a physician recruiter with our CompHealth division in Salt Lake City, got back from his church mission to India in 2008, he knew he wanted to make a lasting impact on the country in some way. So, when he partnered with the Kaiizen Foundation, a nonprofit that benefits the lives of underprivileged children, he planted a seed in the organization's ear to send teens and families to India for service trips.
"They were already taking people to Mexico," explains Joe. "In 2010, I asked if they wanted to go to India, and we've been going every year since then. And we don't just take kids involved with Kaiizen we take families, retirees, college students and anyone who wants to be involved."
"We spend about two weeks in India every summer," Joe says. "Half the time we spend touring and just learning the culture — yoga on rooftops, visiting Varanasi, which is a pilgrimage site for Hindus on the banks of the Ganges, experiencing ceremonies going on around the river, going to the Taj Mahal. The other half of the time we spend at an orphanage in southwest India called Our Home, where we teach classes and do projects to help improve the physical situation there."
One of these projects included planting 500 pepper trees for locals to generate income. Another project took the form of building computers for Our Home's school that also serves the surrounding communities. Others included providing tiles and paint for a new girls' dormitory and building a safe kitchen for the orphanage.
In fact, the orphanage is constantly asking when Kaiizen volunteers are coming back. Joe is also contacted around the clock as Our Home's unofficial consultant. "They'll text me regularly and ask, 'What do you think about this?' or 'Do you think we could do this in the future?'"
While it's easy to get carried away with all of the service opportunities in India, Joe chooses to focus on the little things. "There are huge problems in India, but it's the small things that make people's lives better. The everyday stress we have about everything our cars, food and more has really been put into perspective. It may not seem like there's time to make a difference, but there always is."
As for working for a company that has the same mission to make a difference in communities, Joe can't stress how valuable that is for him. "Being in a company where people are the priority, and where we have volunteer time off to pursue things we're passionate about, that really makes me feel good about working here."
