COVID-19 and work-from-home have had a significant impact on the daily lives of people around the globe. At Skycatch, we recognized early on the importance of creating a strong support structure for encouraging each other in our physical and emotional health. So, together, the team in San Francisco, Guadalajara and other parts of the world flexed their creative minds and came up with some pretty amazing ideas.
Hello we are Ana Cris and Martha, and we want to tell you about how Skycatch is trying to make a difference through a company fitness challenge.
Martha: As a company, Skycatch has always had an interest in helping others in need. But, the COVID-19 pandemic was a very particular case. It didn’t only affect one region. It impacted the whole world, forcing individuals, companies and countries to modify their behaviors.
Ana Cris: Amid concerns around COVID-19, communities across the world are being asked to stay home. This new normal also presents a challenge on how to motivate a team to continue to take care of their own well-being while sheltered at home.
Martha: So, at Skycatch, we decided to start with an easy going step counting challenge across the company. As the challenge moved forward, however, the team realized that a lot of us were already walking, jogging, running, biking and even doing weightlifting, push ups and yoga. We wanted to take it one step further.
Ana Cris: And, that is when the worthy wellness program was born. For every equivalent mile walked, run, biked or other, Skycatch donates US$1 to an organization chosen by the team each month. All of the activities are posted on our Slack #fitness channel to keep count of the accumulated miles. We call it #miles4good!
Martha: I try to post every time I'm able to get some exercise done. I love seeing what others are doing too. It inspires me. It's fun to see who is more competitive and what kind of activities everybody likes to do on a regular basis. I feel more connected, even though we are apart. The best part? We get to join efforts and donate to a different association every month!
We donated to Black Girls Code in the month of July. As a female engineer, I am especially interested in helping more women and minorities to succeed in technical roles.
Ana Cris: In August, we donated to AMANC, a nonprofit organization devoted to promote early recognition, diagnosis and support of age-appropriate treatment for young cancer patients. In Mexico, cancer is the leading cause of death for children between the ages 5 to 14. Because of the pandemic, the situation got even worse.
Martha: It's been amazing to be able to get on a regular exercise routine, connect with my teammates around the world all while supporting such good causes. I can't wait to see what the team will accomplish together this month in support of Feeding America!
Thank you to Ana Cris and Martha for sharing your perspective and experiences. Time to get running!
