Making an Impact in the Community
As a member of the community outreach committee at Plexus Capital, Kelly Lockamy does her homework on various charities and nonprofits to see how her employer and fellow colleagues might be able to help. This work led her to a tour of The Salvation Army of Wake County where she was struck by all the cots that were set-up for the overnight drop-in shelter.
“The one thing that really resonated with me was the big pile of sheets that needed to be washed and the shelter workers explained that every day it was like a relay to make sure they had enough clean linens. I’ve never forgotten that. Clean sheet night is my favorite sleep night of the week, and I can’t imagine being in a situation where I didn’t have somewhere to go or a clean place to lay my head.”
That image stuck with Kelly and motivated here to donate to The Army after receiving her company’s annual Kel Landis Service award. The award was established to honor Plexus co-founder Kel Landis who had a distinguished legacy of service to the community.
“I never imagined I would be selected. I was shocked and so emotional in that moment. It is the highlight of my professional career.”
Since 2021, Plexus presents a $5,000 award to an employee who demonstrates outstanding commitment to community service. The recipient can then give the money to a charity of their choice. Kelly decided to give a portion to The Salvation Army and to the Hope Center at Pullen where she mentors teens.
“I had to take a deep breath and say Kelly you can make an impact with $5,000. You can’t save the world with $5,000 but think about what you feel passionate about and make a difference.”
The spirit of giving comes naturally to Kelly. She’s been involved in philanthropy throughout her career and enjoys building and nurturing relationships with nonprofits and volunteering at events. Plexus adopted four angels for The Army’s annual Angel Tree effort and Kelly and a few of her coworkers volunteered at the Angel Tree Warehouse to put together gift bags for families that otherwise might not have the ability to give their children gifts for Christmas.
“As I’ve gotten older, and just experienced more of life, my rose-colored glasses aren’t as pink as they used to be and I’m a lot more aware of the world around me and how quickly any of us can find ourselves in situations where we would need help from different organizations. It is so important to be aware of that and to give back where you can. Be intentional and think about the impact you can make for someone else.”