Dec. 22, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by POET.

This Christmas season, POET once again has partnered with Sioux Falls Cares to give back to the community and make the holidays a little brighter for those in need.

Every December for 18 years, in lieu of manager holiday gifts, the POET team comes together to support Sioux Falls Cares, a local nonprofit established in 1991 that provides boxes of food, clothing, toys and necessities for more than 850 families each year, including more than 2,000 children. One hundred percent of funds raised by Sioux Falls Cares are used for families who need it most.

“The annual Sioux Falls Cares drive is one of our favorite holiday traditions at POET,” said Jeff Broin, founder and CEO. “We’re dedicated to giving back all year long, but this organization and this time of year will always inspire our team members to go above and beyond.”

POET team members contribute voluntary donations to Sioux Falls Cares, and POET matches the contributions to double the amount. The total is announced at POET’s Christmas party. And every year for the past 18 years, the team has outdone themselves to surpass the previous year’s record. With the POET match, $33,120 was raised for Sioux Falls Cares this year — unsurprisingly, a new team record.

“We have some incredibly compassionate and generous team members at POET,” said Alyssa Broin, vice president of team and community impact. “Each holiday season, we set a fundraising goal for Sioux Falls Cares, and every year without fail, we surpass it. On top of that, we see our team members both in Sioux Falls and across our locations take that generosity outside our walls and get involved in their communities this time of year — it’s really a remarkable effort across the board.”

Sioux Falls Cares runs entirely on volunteers to pack up and deliver packages, so after the donations are collected, many POET team members volunteer to help with deliveries as well. Donating their time and loading up their vehicles, the team finishes what they started in bringing the joy of the holiday season to families in the Sioux Falls community. Additionally, all 33 bioprocessing facilities across POET’s network participate in their own local holiday efforts, from clothing and food drives to angel trees and Toys for Tots to gift-giving for seniors in assisted living.

“Our team members really take our mission of making the world a better place to heart,” Jeff Broin said. “They know that changing the world starts here in our communities by leading with servants’ hearts. POET is proud to call Sioux Falls home, and we want to help continue to make this city a great place to live. I’m thankful to lead a team that holds those same values and displays the spirit of Christmas all year long.”

To learn more about POET’s philanthropic efforts, visit poet.com/givesback.