For the past 16 years, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health employees have come together to support each other through the Spirit of Giving program. The program anonymously connects employee families facing a serious or emergent need with departments and individuals in the Health System who help create a meaningful holiday experience by shopping for gifts to give to the employee and their family.
Through the anonymous matching process that is coordinated by Human Resources, LG Health employees – individually or with their departments – adopt fellow employees and their families by purchasing and wrapping gifts specific to their needs. Employees can also donate gift cards or cash and the Spirit of Giving committee will use the money to purchase gifts for the families.
“This program displays the compassion and love that our employees have for each other, especially during the holiday season when we all are hoping to comfortably celebrate with our loved ones,” said Alexandra Jorgensen, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Chief Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness Officer. “We encourage both employees who want to help and need the help, to please utilize the program,” she continued.
The Spirit of Giving committee received 119 employee applications this year. Department teams as small as two individuals and as large as 40 or more have supported fellow employees during their time of need in prior years.
Emily Zammit, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Benefits Specialist and Spirit of Giving Team Leader, said, “This program is exceptionally humbling as someone who is reading through and approving applications; but also as someone who leads a department adoption. Departments are excited when dropping off gifts for their adopted families, and employees picking up share that same excitement.”
Employees benefiting from the Spirit of Giving program pick up their family gifts on Dec. 8 at Clipper Stadium.