Five years ago, I began making yearly presentations at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington for their volunteer days known as Microsoft Give. Give days are part of their corporate responsibility when employees share time, donations, and skill. It was a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest as I rolled into the massive new parking lot of the Microsoft campus in Redmond in mid-October of 2023. My car was loaded with care package items the Microsoft team would be assembling after I presented my talk entitled, “Microsoft Give, Breast Cancer, Our True Outreach and Influence”.
From their website this phrase could not have been more accurate the day I was there.
Microsoft employees are passionate about giving time, money, and skills to address the issues facing our world.
Microsoft Corporate Social Responsibility
Breast Cancer Call to Action at Microsoft Give Day
What is the issue facing our world attendees would be helping DiepCFoundation with? In the United States alone there will be over a quarter of million women diagnosed with breast cancer. The known numbers for men being diagnosed is over two thousand seven hundred. I began my presentation in an audience of in person and online women and men who worked at Microsoft.
My call to action was to do your monthly breast self-exam (MBE). Although there are those in the medical world who are not proponents of MBE I am a firm believer in doing this. I found my first breast cancer doing my MBE. I hold firmly to the statement, “know thy body and understand changes”. This was the opening slide I presented.
Education Provided and Our True Outreach and Influence at the Foundation
Many were first time attendees. Nonprofits have various expenses and require donations to carry out their mission and run daily operations. But this has become much more to me. It feels like a yearly reunion and community gathering to me. The friend who organizes this and has since 2019 is like family to me. Thomas’s family stood by me throughout both of my breast cancer diagnosis.
This year, I met a new employee in person. A vibrant and kind young woman, Sanjana, teamed up with Thomas this year to bring more awareness broadening the outreach at Microsoft. She noticed the presentation I gave in 2022, reached out to me in person and last year held her own fundraiser through the Microsoft Benevity portal where DiepCFoundation is listed.
Taken By Complete Surprise at Microsoft Give Day
I presented the work and challenges we faced at DiepCFoundation this year. Many were surprised to hear about what I consider our biggest challenge when I learned in early 2023 full access for DIEP flaps was going away. I shared with them how the Foundation along with other strong patient advocates and organizations raised their voices in concern at the public CMS hearing in early June and preserved coverage to this life-changing and advanced form of breast reconstruction after loss of breasts due to a disease no one wants to face.
I opened the floor to questions. It was impressive to see attendees who were so vulnerable asking and sharing their own concerns about being at high risk of getting breast cancer or facing personal health challenges of their own. There was an employee who the Foundation served just one year ago during her reconstruction. That day she was having the second stage of her surgery. We all gave a shout out to her knowing she was in the recovery room during the presentation.
What took me by complete surprise was a woman who quietly shared with attendees how important she felt the work of the Foundation was. She choked back tears informing all of us as she looked at me and said, “I am one of the twelve thousand eight hundred members on your private Facebook page. You have no idea how much it helped me though my own reconstruction.” I was left speechless. We smiled at each other. Our smiles spoke a thousand words. There is no monetary value that can be placed on moments like that.
Volunteer Project at Microsoft Give
I was so pleased to bring the volunteer project to campus that day. Reminiscing that each time I was on campus for Give Days, the sun is always shining. Driving into the underground parking garage was intimidating. That is, until I saw the smiling face of Thomas, who stood waiting to help me unload items for care packages. I traveled to Texas for advocacy work the week following the presentation. It was timely to put these together for patients in recovery from their own DIEP flap surgery.
Sanjana headed up the assembly line quickly organizing all the items that included warm blankets, eye covers, fans that Thomas always has fun folding up, lip balm, and some other useful recovery items. I grabbed one and handed it to the woman who shared she was on my Facebook page because I learned she is having more surgery soon.
Microsoft’s True Outreach and Influence via Benevity
There are many large companies that utilize Benevity causes to manage their corporate giving. These companies often match employees’ donations doubling the impact for nonprofits. Some of the companies are:
- ADP
- Levi’s
- Prudential
- UPS
- Ameriprise
- Starbucks
- Merck
- John Deere
- VISA
- AT&T
It is worth asking your company if they utilize the Benevity giving platform. At the Benevity portal you can type in any of the following to find us: DiepCFoundation, DiepCJourney, or DiepCJourney Foundation. We would love it if you supported our organization. But, with so many great nonprofits to choose from I want you to know about this giving solution that makes it easy for corporations to donate.
I express my deep appreciation to the Microsoft team for being part of the mission of DiepCFoundation for five years running. I plan on being back next year because it feels like family now. Shout out to Jason who attends virtually from Texas and always wins over my heart with his infectious smile. Thank you for the invitation to present this year on Microsoft Give, Breast Cancer, Our True Outreach and Influence.