Global crane manufacturer, Konecranes builds overhead cranes and industrial lifting equipment for virtually every industry in Springfield, Ohio. But at Konecranes 2018 Region Americas sales meeting in Columbus, employees pitched in to lift something new: the spirits and situation of their Ohio neighbors.
Jennifer Dine, Konecranes vice president of human resources, Region Americas, discovered a teambuilding event called Feed the Funnel through an organization known as The Pack Shack. The event’s goal is to combat food insecurity in nearby communities by recruiting corporate partners to donate and pack nutritious meals.
“In years past, Konecranes has continuously searched for ways to incorporate community involvement into our Regional Sales Meeting,” says Dine. “Feed the Funnel was exactly what we were looking for. It gave our people the chance to connect with colleagues with whom they don’t normally interact while feeling good about helping the community.”
According to Chase Perkins, party operations manager for The Pack Shack, 1.8 million people in Ohio meet the definition of food insecurity: not knowing where their next meal will come from. In Clark County, where Konecranes Region Americas is headquartered, there are nearly 22,000 who fit this profile.
At a Feed the Funnel party, secretaries and CEO’s work shoulder-to-shoulder to assemble and package meals that feed eight people. Each meal includes 19 vitamins and 10 grams of protein. More than 400 Konecranes employees from all across the globe competed in 16 teams, packing more than 102,000 meals in an hour.
The Pack Shack’s standard cost to a corporate partner for the party and meal ingredients is 25 cents per meal. The result is an attractive, retail-worthy package that looks like something Ohioans would purchase in a mainstream grocery store, which maintains the dignity of those receiving it.
“Our package asks families to cook together, eat together, talk together, and make mealtime family time,” says Perkins. “Families who sit down and eat together raise children who have more success in school and in life. We want to help our neighbors be successful, and that’s what Konecranes was able to achieve with this event.”
Feed the Funnel parties allow the host organization to designate where the meals will go. Konecranes asked that half of the meals stay in their home city of Springfield, where Second Harvest Food Bank received 50,000 meals. The remaining 50,000-plus meals were donated to Mid-Ohio Food Bank in Columbus, which serves 20 Ohio counties.
Chelsea Wright, marketing coordinator for Region Americas, worked with The Pack Shack to tailor the program for Konecranes.
“Our goal as an organization is to not only impact our industry but to leave a mark on each community we touch,” says Wright. “Since Columbus is in our back yard, this event provided an amazing opportunity for us to give back.”
The Pack Shack’s Chase Perkins sums up the essence of the Konecranes event.
“We bring people together for crazy fun Feed the Funnel parties to pack thousands of delicious, healthy meals, dress them in hair nets and beard nets to maintain sanitary standards, and then we party with a cause,” says Perkins. “We play music and bring a big gong to smash as we work towards the meal goal. We have a lot of fun, and at the same time do something great for the community. It’s a team-building exercise that everyone can feel good about.”
