A Day of Giving and Unity

On a crisp winter morning last December, Sustainable Staffing employees bundled up in scarves and mittens, stationed themselves outside local stores, and rang bells beside the iconic red kettles. Their mission? To raise funds for The Salvation Army’s critical programs that support vulnerable individuals and families. With unwavering determination, they collected donations from generous passersby, embodying the spirit of unity and compassion.

A Philanthropic Leadership Philosophy 

At the helm of Sustainable Staffing is founder Mary McBride, a passionate advocate for community welfare. Her vision extends beyond mere business success; it encompasses a commitment to uplifting the lives of those around her. When asked about the award, “It fosters a sense of togetherness and community,” she shares. “We’re not just a staffing agency; we’re part of the fabric of McHenry County.”

The Power of Collective Impact

The Highest Group Kettle Total fundraising award isn’t just about dollars and cents raised—it’s about collective impact. Sustainable Staffing rallied its employees, clients, and partners to contribute. Local businesses joined hands, recognizing that their combined efforts could make a significant difference. The result? A record-breaking fundraising total that left a positive impact on the community.

Serving a Community We Love

Beyond the accolades, Sustainable Staffing cherishes its role in McHenry County. Our team’s commitment to service extends beyond office hours. Whether volunteering at food drives, participating in community cleanups, or supporting local schools, they embody the spirit of giving back. “We’re happy to help The Salvation Army,” McBride emphasizes, “and we’d love to see more businesses out there doing the same.”

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We want to thank all who joined us in celebrating this significant achievement at our Harvard location. The event was a joyous occasion, marked by camaraderie and appreciation, with guests treated to an exquisite selection of refreshments.

DC Winery provided a delightful assortment of wine slushies, perfectly complementing the delicious pizzas from Angelo’s Pizza. Finally, satisfying the sweet tooth, Totally Cupcaked presented an array of delectable desserts tantalizing the taste buds. Each bite and sip served as a reminder of the collective efforts and shared successes that define Sustainable Staffing.

Through reflecting on this milestone, we are energized and inspired to continue making a positive impact on individuals and communities alike. Being recognized for our work fuels our passion and commitment to excellence. We are excited to embark on the next phase of our journey, dedicated to empowering individuals through sustainable staffing solutions and meaningful contributions to society.

Frozen drinks from DC Winery

Desserts by Totally Cupcaked

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As I walked into the workshop, I delightedly observed a packed room of people eager to spruce up their résumés. Although, they weren’t just looking for any job; they wanted an opportunity that really spoke to them. Leading the conversation was Mary McBride, the mastermind behind Sustainable Staffing. She took the stage and delivered a presentation packed with tips on crafting a killer résumé, such as:

-making your résumé visually appealing

-standing out in the  Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

-formatting that enhances your chances of getting noticed and receiving a callback

-personal information that does vs. personal information that does not belong on your résumé

Mary shared insights that even I found eye-opening, despite having revamped my résumé numerous times.

A packed house for Mary McBride’s résumé workshop

As someone who’s been through my fair share of job changes, I was impressed by how much I didn’t know and how relevant it all was. Mary didn’t just talk the talk; she also walked the walk, patiently answering every question from attendees.

Mary McBride takes questions during her presentation

After the presentation, Mary stuck around to offer one-on-one advice to anyone who needed it. For those who needed more help, Sustainable Staffing had a team of résumé experts on standby to provide personalized assistance. 

Sustainable Staffing’s résumé experts offer help to an individual looking to bolster her résumé

Mary McBride offering one-on-one résumé support to an attendee

Through events like these, Sustainable Staffing showcases our dedication to helping individuals in the community find meaningful work. We’re always here to lend a hand to those who need it! 

A big thank you to everyone who came out and took advantage of what we had to offer! We’re always so thrilled to help people better themselves and their career paths. Another special thanks is in order to the McHenry County Workforce Network for hosting us and allowing us to serve the community we love so much. Together, we’re making strides toward brighter career opportunities for everyone.

If you are looking to take the first step towards a more fulfilling career, reach out to us today through our website, email, or by phone! We are here to help!

The post A Résumé to Remember appeared first on Sustainable Staffing.

Written by Steve Repsys, a content writer for Sustainable Staffing.

Having never served in the military, I’ve always had the utmost respect for veterans who have served our country. This notion was reinforced a million times over having recently volunteered when the American Veterans Traveling Tribute (AVTT) came to Milky Way Park in Harvard, IL.

Sustainable Staffing Inc. served as a proud sponsor of the event organized by the Harvard Chamber of Commerce & Industry from September 8-11, 2022. The mission of the AVTT project is to honor, respect, and remember the men and women who served our country and to pay tribute to those who gave their all in service. 

I was privileged to be one of the many volunteers needed throughout the weekend to make sure the tribute went as smoothly as possible. Over the course of volunteering, I met numerous military veterans and family members of veterans who were searching for a specific name on the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. set up at the park. The wall consisted of 144 black granite panels aligned side-by-side that measured nearly 400 feet long and listed all the confirmed American casualties from the Vietnam War. 

People came up to me with tears in their eyes hoping to find a name of someone important to them. Looking through a directory as thick as a phone book, I was able to find names of those who passed away in Vietnam. I provided the exact location of where the names could be found on the wall. Oftentimes, I would physically guide them to the exact location.

One of the most important things that stood out most to me in my experience was that veterans who attended just wanted to share their stories and be heard. I had the chance to hear about what these brave soldiers went through and all the sacrifices they made.

I found myself listening intently to their heroic stories and experiences, thinking to myself that I don’t know how I would have survived five minutes of any of what they went through. One extremely nice veteran named Mike talked to me for over an hour about his military experience. My eyes just widened and I hung on to every word he said as he detailed many of his close calls and the effects he faces today. 

I also had the privilege of speaking with another veteran named Bob. Bob went into graphic detail on what it was like to get shot in his arm from long range when he was serving in Vietnam. He even pointed to where the bullet struck him and described how lucky he was to be alive. He wasn’t the only veteran to show me his scars that weekend.

The American Veterans Traveling Tribute also included smaller tribute panels honoring American sacrifices in other conflicts including both World Wars, 9-11, Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, and many more. 

I distinctly remember the tragic events of 9-11 having lived in Boston at the time. The panels for 9-11 provided remarkable minute-by-minute details about each hijacked plane and what the passengers and crew experienced. The hairs on my neck stood up as I read the accounts and thinking how the terrorist attacks seemed like only yesterday, and fittingly the 9-11 tribute panels ran through September 11!

During my time volunteering, I was also awestruck by many of the patriotic events that occurred at Milky Way Park. Things I vividly remember are the moving presentations by the Color Guard, the stirring singing of the national anthem by high school students, the uncanny feeling I felt during the playing of “Taps,” and the sovereignty sight of a 21-gun salute.

I will also recall how the weekend made me so proud to be an American. Seeing so many U.S. flags flying majestically with all the glory of red, white, and blue just filled my heart with patriotism. 

More importantly, I took the time to thank every veteran I came in contact with for their service and sacrifice. The looks of appreciation on their faces will stay with me forever.

Thank you to all the other volunteers who came out for this touching tribute. An enormous tip of the cap especially goes out to the Harvard Chamber for all their hard work coordinating the event and constantly being on site to make sure this incredible event could have the honor it so richly deserved!

Posting the Colors

Numerous local and county American Legion veterans pay their respect as they help raise and lower the American flag throughout the weekend.

Patriotic Paws

The traveling tribute features a host of events and animals, including therapy dogs.

Ceremony for 9-11

Members of the Wonder Lake Fire Department along with members of Harvard Fire Protection Mercy Health help to commemorate the 9/11 attacks, fittingly on September 11, 2022.

Opportunity for Reflection

The American Veterans Traveling Tribute provides an opportunity for reflection. Harvard Mayor Michael Kelly (top left), a former veteran, provides reflection at the opening ceremony. Operation Wild Horse (top middle) visits the tribute as two young girls listen to a soldier making a presentation. Two veterans (right) sign a banner that will be shared with the Historical Society in Harvard. Father Steven Clarke of St. Joseph Catholic Church (bottom left) says a blessing on Saturday. Pastor Elizabeth Martin of Trinity Lutheran Church (bottom middle) leads Friday’s blessing. The Missing Man Table Ceremony (bottom middle right) is present at formal dinners and memorials to remember the POW/MIAs.

Honoring the Colors

American flags play a pivotal role at the daily opening ceremonies. Throughout the ceremony, veterans in the Color Guard (left) help post the colors for the day. Two volunteers (right) are helping a veteran adjust the American flag on the flagpole making sure it doesn’t touch the ground before extending the flagpole.

Additional Tributes

The American Veterans Traveling Tribute also provides information about 9-11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition, the names of fallen veterans from McHenry County (right) who served in various wars throughout history provide a local reminder of those who gave their life for their country.

High School Musical Tribute

Harvard High School Band students (left) and Choir students (top right) as well as those from Marian Catholic High School Choir (bottom right) turn out to perform musical tributes throughout the weekend.

Paying Respect

Various local and county American Legion veterans attend the tribute to participate in numerous ceremonies (left). A local veteran pays respect to his fallen comrades (right).

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

The American Veterans Traveling Tribute includes many touching tributes inclcuding a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. featuring the names of over 3,000 casualties. The tribute also showcases the Battlefield Cross (left) representing the honor, service, and sacrifice of soldiers who were killed in battle.

The post Freedom is Not Free: A Tribute to Veterans appeared first on Sustainable Staffing.

“All real works of art look as if they were done in joy.” 

― Robert Henri, American painter

Thanks to teen artists Maritza Garcia (L) and Libby Heide (R), best friends from North Boone High School, our new Harvard branch at 100 Admiral Drive, recently received joyous works of art painted on its front windows to celebrate its grand opening event.

Spanning across all the front windows, the scene consists of three separate murals of people in their work environments. One comprises a silhouette of a fair-toned woman standing in a field holding wheat in her arms on a sunny day. Another is of a darker-toned business man against a cityscape background. The other scene features a warm-toned woman in a hard hat holding a clipboard with raindrops falling around her. 

More window panes include various depictions of nature. One features the earth with handprints around the planet with the phrase, “The earth is what we all have in common,” painted in bright blue lettering. Two of the other panes consist of similar interpretations of bright green trees with many leaves – all beautiful and unique.   

Also deemed a multicultural exhibit, the windows include the same phrase from above colorfully painted in Spanish to tie the whole scene together.

Maritza recalls how drawing has always been in her blood and she also is inspired by other young artists who can be found sharing their artwork on social media. “When I was little, I picked up a pencil and began drawing,” she says. “Painting to me is a way of expressing myself and something I’ve always enjoyed.”

Sustainable Staffing owner Mary McBride says the world needs to encourage more artists like Maritza and Libby. “Nurturing artistic talent in the youth is more necessary than ever,” she says. “Art education is often devalued as a legitimate pathway to a prosperous career. I absolutely love having Maritza and Libby display their vision on the storefront of our Harvard branch office.”

And the artists, who are leaning toward careers in art, are glad to showcase their talents publicly and enhance the world around them.

“We’re honored that Mary thought our artwork was good enough to display and we’re very proud of our paintings in English and Spanish for bilingual clients to see.” says Maritza. “We definitely appreciate this opportunity. This is our first big project we have done and we are so proud to have our work seen by so many people.”

Thank you Maritza and Libby for your hard work and dedication in this beautiful project. We appreciate your creativity and bringing your talents to brighten our workplace! Keep up with the great work! 

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The trio of Sustainable Staffing Client Relations Manager, Mark Wennmacher and Finance Manager Steve McBride, and Integrated Label President Barry Ewing were three of the more than 125 golfers to partake in the festivities at one of the biggest fundraisers for the GLMV Chamber of Commerce.

The event typically raises approximately $19,000 for the organization to fund outreach programs and educational programs for businesses, according to GLMV Chamber President Scott Adams.

Even some inclement weather at the start of the outing didn’t damper the day, which included 18 holes of golf, lunch, a reception, contests, awards, and raffles.

Both Mark and Steve were lucky raffle winners of a coveted Cubs poster and a bountiful basket of authentic Italian Food, respectively.

“Even though it was rainy at the beginning, it was a wonderful day of golfing,” says Mark. “We were able to have a lot of laughs and were able to network with so many other companies. We definitely enjoyed ourselves.”

Pictured from right to left: Sustainable Staffing Accounts Payable Manager Steve McBride, Sustainable Staffing Client Services Representative Mark Wennmacher, and Integrated Label President Barry Ewing.

Sustainable Staffing is socially engaged within the communities in which it works and lives, especially with the chambers of commerces, believing in corporate responsibility. 

Thanks to the GLMV for hosting our golfers and frequently partnering with us. We look forward to participating in next year’s event.

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Take it from someone who, prior to employment with Sustainable Staffing, went on plenty of video job interviews via Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, there are ways to be successful! Most of what I learned to promote myself well came from trial and error. 

Hopefully by reading this, you can avoid the mistakes I made and instead make a stunning first impression. 

While iPhones May Be Convenient, They Aren’t Always Perfect

We rely on our cell phones constantly, so it only makes sense to use them for just about everything. However, when it comes to video job interviews you might want to rethink that! Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams can be downloaded right to your iPhone and is so tempting to use from there.

But here’s what can go wrong with that. The camera width on an iPhone is so narrow. To make it appear as if you’re looking directly at the other person, you have to look at the camera, not view the other person in the eye. This was so counterintuitive to my basic instinct of making eye contact with the other person! After a few interview calls, I had to use a sticky note to remind myself where to look!

Using my iPhone led to other issues as well. Sometimes I would receive a phone call or a text message from another person at the most inopportune time distracting me. Yikes! And I always had to deal with the Leaning Tower of Cell Phone. I consistently had to hold my breath once I coerced my phone to stand up straight during the interview so that it wouldn’t topple over. I can only imagine how bad that looked on the other end when that happened. 

Which leads me to my next point..

Always Always Always Use a Computer, Laptop, or Tablet

While mobile apps may be convenient for using on your iPhone, it’s not ideal when you’re trying to put your best foot forward during a job interview. Use your computer, laptop or tablet instead. Most technology these days comes already equipped with a camera. And if for some reason your devices aren’t equipped with a camera, look into borrowing one with video access from a relative or friend. Pros for this include having access to a flat surface (say good-bye Leaning Tower of Cell Phone), preventing any wobbliness, and also your image will come in so much clearer!

If you’re a worrier like me, you can feel confident ahead of time by…

Avoiding Any Technical Difficulties

Ideally your interview space will have a nearby plug for your laptop or computer. Keep your machine plugged in throughout the interview. If not, plan to have your laptop fully charged in plenty of time before your interview. 

Also, arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled interview to make sure the connection works. There’s nothing worse than arriving just in the nick of time only to find unexpected and troublesome technical difficulties causing you stress. This happened to me on a few occasions causing my blood pressure to skyrocket.

And I’ve also learned the hard way that it’s always best to have the contact information for the person you’re scheduled to speak with in case of emergency!

And if your personal space is anything like mine…

Use a Virtual Background

My laptop is situated in my office with my kitchen (including a countertop with tons of mail) in plain sight. You can make such cluttered backgrounds disappear by using a virtual backdrop. Personally, I suggest using a neutral color like gray. Having a virtual background during an interview puts your mind at ease by making the image more engaging while promoting professionalism with minimum effort!

Employ these tips and watch your interview success grow as you become more confident! 

Steve Repsys is a content writer for Sustainable Staffing Inc.

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Giving is a key part of the mission of Sustainable Staffing year round, but the holidays always provide a unique opportunity to serve the community, give back, and spread hope. We’ve been delighted to support a number of great organizations and initiatives throughout the stateline area this holiday season.

• 200 Thanksgiving meals donated to the Rockford Rescue Mission
• 2 Boone County families sponsored for Thanksgiving dinners
• Both office locations are Tots for Tots dropoff sites
• Financial donation to Salvation Army provided 200 meals, plus food donation provided meals for 2 families

We encourage you to consider how you too can give back this year, and if you’re looking for quality organizations that will responsibly manage your contributions, consider these great charities!

The post Holiday Giving Season appeared first on Sustainable Staffing.

Hearthstone, based in Woodstock, IL, is a senior living community housed on 14 beautiful acres for residents to enjoy. Care ranges from independent living to long-term nursing assistance, and programs empower seniors to stay more active and even encourage intergenerational interaction with a unique early childhood education program.

To learn more, visit hearthstonewoodstock.org, reach out on their contact page, or call 815-338-2110.

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