ModSquad Gives Back Through Volunteer Work

As all our clients know, everyone here at ModSquad is dedicated to helping others. Whether it’s keeping people safe through community moderation or resolving customer issues via email, live chat, phone support, or social media, our Mods work their remote jobs tirelessly to ensure the well-being of clients and customers alike. That dedication to others’ happiness extends into our personal lives as well, with many of us volunteering our free time to support worthy causes.

Here are just a few of the ways some of our staff give back to their communities.

Samantha Walker:

Before joining ModSquad, Samantha Walker was the CEO of an animal rescue organization. As anyone who has worked in animal rescue and care can attest, doing so can be taxing both physically and emotionally, so in March 2016, Samantha stepped down and now volunteers her time to fill similar roles. The flexibility of her work-from-home job with ModSquad allows her to balance the time she spends volunteering with her role as an Assistant Project Manager.

Samantha began volunteering at animal shelters when she was 11, and her lifelong love for animals has kept her active in the field ever since. When a car accident left her in a wheelchair at age 15, it was a senior Pomeranian dog who had recovered from two broken legs that helped her heal and continue pursuing her passion. Now, Samantha’s two children also volunteer alongside her to help animals.

I have only gone a year or two in my entire life without a pet. Animals are so very helpless, and the torture that some people put them through will make you see the human race in a whole new light. It makes you humble. The love and gratitude that an animal will show to you once you have saved them after all of the horrible things that have been done to them goes to show how different man and beast really are. They have no grudges, no discrimination; they only want love and respect, and they will give that back ten times over.

Donna McKee:

Donna McKee, an account manager here at ModSquad, volunteers with her local branch of the national organization CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), CASA of Travis County. As a guardian ad litem for children in the court system, Donna speaks to doctors, teachers, and others about children in the program, essentially filling gaps where Child Protective Services may lack bandwidth or resources. For instance, Donna may help a child in need of speech therapy to ensure he/she is able to get to his/her appointments. She also meets with biological and foster parents, family members, and other caregivers to get a picture of what a child needs and provide her opinion to judges about what is in the child’s best interest.

I really wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids in my own community… I started the application and training process back in June of this year. The most intense interview of my life, criminal background checks, fingerprint checks, five different references, and 39 hours of training later, I was sworn in by the court on August 30, 2016. I had my first case handed over to me that same day.

I can’t convey how rewarding it is to help kids as they navigate through pretty much the worst times of their lives. It’s really an honor to be able to do this.

Susie South:

For the past several years, Susie South of our People Operations team has helped older individuals learn how to use new technology like smartphones, laptops, and tablets. These folks are often wary of how complicated the technology seems, but they want to use it, often to keep in touch with their children and grandchildren. Susie works with these individuals to find out what they want to accomplish through technology and starts by teaching them the basics, usually email and basic Internet browsing. She returns several times to make sure they’ve mastered those skills, and usually by that point they’ve come up with something new they want to learn (typically Facebook). She also teaches them about Internet etiquette and safety and how to protect themselves from common scams.

It opens a person’s world, at a time in life when the mind is ripe for new information, but the body may not allow them the old ways of exploring the world. I’d encourage everyone to find a person to mentor in this way. Start with your grandparents (or parents), or their friends, and if that isn’t necessary or possible, call a local assisted-living facility. I’d love to see this type of work spread!

Gina Miller:

When she’s not sifting through resumes to hire new community moderators or juggling the intricacies that are a natural part of remote jobs, ModSquad’s Director of People Operations Gina Miller volunteers for a number of organizations. She and her family participate in Feed My Starving Children MobilePack events, creating pre-packaged meals for hungry children around the world.

I really like these events, as they are something my kids can participate in, and it is an easy concept for them to grasp.

In addition to this, Gina volunteers at her church, Holy Trinity Parish, teaching Faith Formation to fourth graders. She is also PTO President this year at her daughter’s elementary school in El Dorado Hills.

We just had our annual Fall Festival, where we raised over $30,000 for PTO-funded programs at the school.

Amanda Hayworth:

Amanda Hayworth, also of our People Operations team, currently participates in the Miracle Messages program, a startup that reconnects homeless individuals with families and friends with whom they’ve lost contact. Amanda serves as a liaison, helping these individuals find long-lost family and friends that may be able to assist them on the path to recovery or in finding a place to live.

This program has a long-lasting success rate and a very positive outcome. Typically volunteers will interview local homeless individuals and take to social media to find relatives or friends to spread their message (and heed for help).

Amanda is also a longstanding member of Amnesty International and has volunteered with her local chapters over the last 15 years.

Anonymous:

One member of our ModSquad team asked that their volunteerism be kept anonymous, as the group they’re involved with is based on anonymous acts of kindness. It is a “secret society” of women who look for ways to help others in their community, all anonymously.

It might be that Christmas is coming, and there are no gifts. It might be that the local shelter needs quilts. It might be that local teachers, fire departments, or police officers need to know they’re appreciated. It might be that a young mother has transportation needs. Whatever is discovered, this group of women finds a way to make it happen anonymously, in the name of their secret group. People feel loved and appreciated, and the group can easily move on to the next project. There are many stories of being “nearly discovered” that will never be told!