Social Good During a Pandemic

Needless to say, this year has been challenging. At Reservoir, like many other workplaces, we all became well acquainted with our make-shift workspaces at home and relied more than ever on our wi-fi connections. For nine months, we’ve adapted our work styles and learned how to create a virtual office, even if we still miss out on our killer pantry snacks and have to navigate the children and pets – or even the FedEx guy at the door – who have become our new “coworkers.” But through it all, we’ve remained true to our core values and beliefs as a firm, and particularly to our Social Good efforts and commitment to support the DC community.

Recognizing the evolving nature of the pandemic, Reservoir’s Social Good team set out to create safe, socially distant opportunities this year, relying heavily on the strengths and skillsets of our colleagues. And, with the ever-growing social and economic impacts of COVID-19, we redoubled efforts to support local organizations and help those in our own neighborhoods with a hands-on approach.

Reservoir’s Social Good work is driven largely from the ground up, with colleagues identifying organizations and issues to highlight. Notably, colleagues are eager to participate. This year, we began by supporting Feed the Fight, a local effort to patronize restaurants and show support for healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic at the same time. Leaning on our expertise, Reservoir assisted with developing a media strategy and conducted media outreach as Feed the Fight got off the ground and quickly grew to support businesses and frontline workers across the DMV area.

Building on 2019 efforts, Reservoir also continued to engage with GOODProjects, a DC organization focused on transitioning families out of poverty. While we could not join the GOODProjects team in person, Reservoir developed and launched an online professional development workshop series for parents in the DC area looking to hone resume building, cover letter writing, and interviewing skills. Similar to our approach to client work, these workshops are a true collaboration among colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences and are a product of the deep knowledge and expertise of the whole Reservoir team.

Topping off our virtual activities, the Reservoir team also continued to give back financially to organizations we’ve long supported. In the fall, colleagues pooled monetary donations to purchase indoor activity kits for the women that Calvary Women’s Services supports. Our colleagues also formed a team and fundraised for Calvary’s first-ever virtual 5K. And to cap off the year, Reservoir collectively donated to So Others Might Eat’s holiday toy drive for children in the DC area experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty.

Looking back at 2020, we’ve all made changes and adapted to our current reality. And it’s comforting to know that, despite the pandemic, we continued to honor our commitment to social good work and ability to give back to our community.