Caring for Our Communities in 2020
(dramatic instrumental music)
Natasha Koermer: I think it's so challenging to read the news and just think about all of the injustices in the world.
Bobby Blount: You hear some of the stories and you really learn what people are up against. It just gets to you and you say, I gotta do more. You know, I got to do that 24/7 to try to help out as much as possible.
Ibrahim Majeed: We don't exist alone. We're not on an island. We're all in it together. I think it's working together as a collective that we're able to have the greatest impact.
Blount: I'm chair of an organization called the San Antonio Area African-American Community Fund. And the purpose of it was really to help out with the livelihood of African Americans, not only in San Antonio, but across the rest of the nation. And other major initiative is our Social Justice Fund. We're focused on how to provide bail relief, we're focusing on how to support voting rights type things, as well as civil and criminal and housing discrimination and and also excessive force type issues.
(dramatic music continues)
Koermer: I've been volunteering with Engineers Without Borders USA for over eight years now. I'm currently working on a project in Panama where we're trying to build a library and technology center in this indigenous community. A lot of folks, you know, get so excited when they hear about it. They've never heard of Engineers Without Borders before. And a lot of times you see that translate directly into MITRE folks getting involved.
Majeed: A team of MITRE staff and I volunteer with the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. The foundation works to break down the stigma around mental illness and emotional distress, specifically within the African-American community, but also in the general society. This work is important to me because I've have and had mental and emotional illness within my own family. I want to make sure that this stigma is erased and that people get help.
Meghan Miller (sitting with Scott Miller): We live in a community where there was looting following some protests against police brutality. And our main street was destroyed. We could actually see fires from our house. We just felt, we got to go out there, broom in hand, figure something out. We got to help contribute. I just feel fortunate that MITRE kind of helps encourage that. I can't think of an organization that cares more about its people and giving back.
(hopeful music)
Matt Fronzak: My wife and I purchased 500 face shields made by a young man in New Orleans so that he in turn would donate 500 more face shields to the New Orleans healthcare givers. In our case, we gave them to the Cobb/Douglas Department of Health here in Northwest Metro Atlanta, who immediately put them to good use at local hospitals and healthcare facilities. I had viewed an article on the MII [MITRE Intranet] about three individuals who had done special things during the pandemic. One was a fellow who had flown, in his personal airplane, supplies across country. Another contracted COVID, had beaten it, and now was donating blood plasma. And so I read that article and that was part of what motivated me to do what I did.
(hopeful music continues)
Richard Preston: MITRE's vision is pioneering for a better future. And I think part of that is what we're doing with STEM outreach, which is inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. I'm working with Bedford STEM Outreach. We're partnering with Kids in Tech to offer STEM workshops to underprivileged kids.
Ryan Jobson: There are definitely students who've never really had access to a STEM education or have been exposed to different topics in STEM. And so, you know, that's really empowering to see these kids connect with with those different topics. Without Kids in Tech, I think a lot of these students would not be able to find a passion like I did.
Rob Irvine: The organization that I support is MITRE Feeds. They provide food to food-insecure children. This food drive I think is successful because MITRE people are MITRE people. We don't just look at problems and say, 'Okay, we can solve it by doing X.' We want to understand why it is. How do we solve food insecurity? I don't know how to answer that one, but what I do know how to do is put some food on some people's tables. When I finally met two or three students from the school that were getting the meals...Yeah, that was rough.
Majeed: If I had to provide a word for my support, my effort, I think it's very easy to say that I am grateful to have this opportunity.
Fronzak: Gratifying would be the word. It was just extremely gratifying.
Blount: Hopeful. I am hopeful.
Irvine: There's something bigger than you out there. And there's always somebody you could help. And if you can help, help them. Just help them.
(hopeful music continues)