The theme for the most recent Integrated Project Mercy activities had its origin in a team-building and knowledge-sharing event. At its annual STL Challenge, the St. Louis employees of Integrated Project Management Company, Inc. (IPM) discussed resilience and coping with stress.
“As consultants, we often face stressful projects, manage difficult stakeholders, and operate under tight deadlines and budgets,” says Consultant Ashanti Vaughn, who led the most recent philanthropic efforts. “It is crucial to reflect on the challenges we overcome after each project ends. This helps us separate feelings from facts and prevents these issues from consuming us or shaking our confidence. Developing healthy coping mechanisms is essential to navigate through difficult times effectively.”
She chose mental health to continue those conversations and to support the millions of people (more than 23 percent of U.S. adults, or about 59 million people, in 2022) who experience mental health conditions every year.
Focusing on the Youth
The St. Louis office partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The nonprofit is an alliance of more than 600 local affiliates who raise awareness and provide support and education. IPM volunteers assembled 500 packets of educational materials for NAMI’s Ending the Silence program, which helps middle and high school children learn the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if they or a loved one are showing symptoms.
IPMers in Boston also focused on local youth. They supported the Boston Public Health Commission’s CopeCode Club, which helps young people to identify healthy ways to cope with feelings that could lead to harmful behaviors like substance abuse and violence. IPM volunteers assembled 50 garden starter kits for an event at a downtown community center. Then they hosted the event, supplying pizza, drinks, and snacks, leading a hands-on gardening workshop, and sharing personal stories about their lives.
The Chicago office supported Youth Outreach Services (YOS) in a similar way. IPM volunteers packed 100 bags of household and personal cleaning supplies, then set up and hosted a Spring into Cleaning event. There, young people received the free supplies as well as a grab-and-go dinner for their families. YOS provides a variety of child welfare, counseling, juvenile justice, and prevention services to help them overcome challenges such as mental illness, substance use, abuse, and homelessness.
And in San Francisco, IPMers hosted a presentation by Hope Services and purchased and assembled care packages with hygiene, household, and stress relief goods for the organization’s mental health clients. Among other services, Hope Services offers psychiatric and psychotherapeutic assistance such as individual, group, and family counseling, behavior therapy, case management, and medication management.
Getting Their Hands Dirty
Volunteers from the New Jersey office prepared and served a meal at the Broadway Presbyterian Church in support of Broadway Community. The nonprofit organization assists those suffering from mental health issues who have become unhoused. Beyond hot meals, Broadway provides shelter, medical care, counseling, life skills training, and other services.
The Los Angeles office supported ALMA Backyard Farms, which helps formerly incarcerated people build their mental health and social and technical skills through hands-on work in agriculture, landscaping, and carpentry. IPMers helped ALMA’s Earth Day Giveaway and Fundraiser by packing 453 bags of organic vegetables and fruits.
In Minneapolis, volunteers helped clean and repurpose some space in one of the Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge’s buildings. The nonprofit assists those with substance use and other mental health disorders through counseling, recovery programs, and residential treatment. The new space will provide low-cost housing to recent graduates of the program.
IPM employees lead and participate in quarterly philanthropy efforts through our Integrated Project Mercy program. Visit our careers page to learn more about joining the IPM family.
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