As the holiday season sneaks up on us, Millwood has a variety of events to celebrate; we host cubicle trick or treating, cookie decorating, Christmas shopping for local charities and even an afternoon with Santa. Before we start on the Christmas music though, there is one very special tradition Millwood celebrates- our thankfulness project.

What began as a program to encourage gratitude has now become a staple event that team members look forward to during the holiday season.

In November, mail pouches are hung for each individual at the corporate office. Team members are encouraged to leave notes, candy or other fun tokens of appreciation for members of their Millwood family.

Some team members take the opportunity to share their appreciation for an act of kindness they saw or received; others feel inspired by the weekly prompts intended to jog their memories. This week, a sign hung by the mailboxes asked, “Who has helped make your job easier for you lately, and how?” Scattered among the tables of our bistro, small note cards prompt people to consider “Who do you miss most when they aren’t at work, and why?”

The mail pouches stay up until we return from the holidays in January, as both a fun treat for employees and an exercise for those who wish to embrace the spirit of the season of thankfulness.

"It's really nice to go to my pouch and find a note after working a long day," Marketing Project Specialist Josh Stipanovich said.

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, we invite you to share in our thankfulness project by practicing enthusiastic appreciation for those individuals in your life that make a positive difference. You don’t need a formal program to let someone know they are valued- just a minute or two and an email can spread an attitude of gratitude.

And finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t take this time to thank our customers and vendors for all they do- none of this would be possible without your loyalty and support!