Eli Bresky and Marissa Meis are used to putting together a polished message and getting people behind it, as part of the communications team for Seaboard Corporation.
But they’ve also taken those skills to elevate their passion for community and harnessing support for United Way. For both Eli and Marissa, being involved with United Way is personal.
“In 2020, after my dad passed away, I got involved with the Seaboard Foundation and just learning all the things we do,” said Eli. “It’s put new meaning to giving back.”
“I used to work for Topeka Public Schools and being in the schools every day, I saw the impact United Way had on the students,” said Marissa. “Whether we were taking them to stores to pick out toys for Christmas, working in food banks, or making sure families had resources to keep the lights on, it really made a difference.”
For the two coworkers, saying yes to the role of Employee Campaign Manager for Seaboard’s annual United Way fundraising efforts was a no-brainer.
“I love the work I get to do at Seaboard because we’re rallying everybody. We show whether it’s giving hygiene items or food, donating time or money, there’s a place for everyone,” Marisa said. “And that’s really encouraging because sometimes it can feel really hopeless when you look at the work and feel like you’re not important enough or don’t have enough influence to make a change. But working with United Way shows that’s not true. Everybody has the opportunity to give back.”
“My role is to be a champion and just get everyone involved,” Eli shared. “We can be silly and throw a pie in the CEO’s face, we can have fun while hitting and even surpassing our goals. It’s been great to see the excitement from getting everybody together, something that really hasn’t happened since the pandemic.”
Together, they helped double the amount of dollars raised during the company’s United Way campaign. Their collaborative spirit, bringing together new donors and voices to make an impact are why Marisa and Eli are nominees for this year’s Employee Campaign Manager of the Year honor at United Way’s annual WaymakerTM Awards.
“I am really proud of the ways that Seaboard specifically gives back, because they do a whole lot,” said Marisa. “And being with an organization that has that as part of their values is really important to me, and they empower their employees to give back as well.”