Dec. 28, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by POET.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at POET, and, thanks to the efforts of the company’s philanthropic arm, POET Gives Back, it’s a pretty wonderful time for the community as well.

Every holiday season for 17 years, in lieu of manager holiday gifts, the POET team comes together to support Sioux Falls Cares, a local nonprofit that provides boxes of food, clothing, toys and necessities for more than 850 families, including nearly 2,000 children. One hundred percent of funds raised by Sioux Falls Cares are used for families who need it most.

“The POET team has participated in a Christmas drive for Sioux Falls Cares for nearly two decades,” said Jeff Broin, POET founder and CEO. “It’s become a Christmas tradition. We’re passionate about making an effort to give back all year long, but this one has a special place in our hearts. It’s truly a testament to how much our team members care about our community.”

POET team members contribute voluntary donations to Sioux Falls Cares, and POET matches the contributions of its team. The total is announced at the POET Christmas party. More than $23,600 was gifted to the organization this year — a team record.

“The people that make up POET are an incredibly generous and compassionate team,” said Jeff Pinkerman, POET chief financial officer. “Every year, we set a goal for the funds that we raise, and I can’t remember a year that we didn’t exceed that goal. Combine that with the generosity of the company to match every dollar that the team members raise — it’s an effort I’m proud to be a part of on behalf of a company I’m proud to work for.”

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.

“As you wait in the long line of cars to pick up your delivery, it’s clear just how much Sioux Falls really does care,” said Erin Smith, POET media specialist. “To see such an outpouring of support for families in our community is truly incredible, and it’s humbling to be a part of.”

But POET Gives Back doesn’t stop in Sioux Falls. The company has 33 bioprocessing facilities across eight Midwestern states, and each location participates in its own holiday efforts. A few notable holiday programs include:

POET’s facilities in Shell Rock and Fairbank, Iowa, came together to make a $5,000 donation to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. The Food Bank provides nutritious food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations and individuals while offering hunger education programs in the area.

The team at POET Bioprocessing – Iowa Falls coordinated, packed and delivered 90 Thanksgiving meals to families in need. They also sponsored a winterwear drive after learning that local elementary school teachers were purchasing winter clothes for their students.

For the seventh year in a row, the team at POET Bioprocessing – Fostoria in Iowa organized Christmas With an Angel to support local children. Through this program, the POET team provides Christmas gifts and necessities such as clothing and school supplies for children in the community.

No matter the season, POET team members take giving back to heart and strive to take the company’s mission outside the walls of its facilities.

 “Leaving the world better than we found it is the heart of POET’s mission,” Broin said. “That starts at home. It starts in our communities and with those around us. POET is proud to be a part of our Midwest communities. We want to make a difference in the world, and we’re glad that we can start with something as simple as helping others to have a blessed and merry Christmas.”