St. George software company’s Christmas donation to Utah Food Bank provides over 91,000 meals

ST. GEORGE — On behalf of its clients and employees, St.George-based software company TCN made a significant Christmas donation to the Utah Food Bank.

TCN marketing director McKay Bird at the company’s global headquarters, St. George, Utah, Dec. 20, 2021 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Originally the gift was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes it forced upon the company over the holidays in 2020, but TCN decided to make another contribution when Christmas rolled around again this year.

“It’s the second year doing this,” TCN marketing director McKay Bird told St. George News. 

Bird said TCN’s usual tradition was to give food baskets and care packages to its employees and clients at Christmas.

But when the COVID-19 restrictions were established during 2020, company leaders decided it would be appropriate to donate the funds it would have spent on those gifts to the Utah Food Bank instead.

“Traditionally we sent over 1,500 care packages to clients and employees around the world,” McKay said. “We thought, ‘Let’s take the money that we would have spent on these gifts and match it as an in-kind donation or contribution on behalf of our clients.’”

TCN specializes in providing cloud-based software for call centers around the world. It moved into its global headquarters at 162 North 400 E. in St. George in 2018.

“Part of our mission at TCN is to give back and help out where we can,” Bird said. “We thought we could make an impact in a positive way towards making sure our community is taken care of.”

Problems created by the pandemic have significantly impacted food security, prompting TCN to make the donation again.

“Because of how it was received last year and the ongoing challenges of food security in our local area and across the feeding America network, we thought it would be appropriate to do it again this year,” Bird said.

He added that many of TCN’s clients were excited that the Christmas donation was staying local.

Inside the warehouse of the Southern Branch of Utah Food Bank, St. George, Utah, Dec. 20, 2021 | Photo by E. George Goold

“In Southern Utah as a whole, there are 39,000 people who are not sure where their next meal is coming from,” Utah Food Bank President and CEO Ginette Bott told St. George News. “One in every 5 of them are children.” 

Bott said that the food bank needs three things that companies like TCN can provide: partnership, collaboration and donations.

“We can’t do what we have to do without partnerships like we have with TCN,” Bott said. “Through their donation, we’ve been able to help provide 91,350 meals in Southern Utah.”

Bott said the food bank’s partnership with TCN provides more benefits than just the actual meals.

“The great thing about making new friends like TCN is the ability for these organizations to be part of the solution,” she added.

“There’s the benefit of the immediate giving, and there’s the educational awareness and the message they’ll send to people around them,” Bott said. “TCN does a great job of that.”

Rural areas of Southern Utah are hit particularly hard by food insecurity, she said. 

“The economic impact to a small town can be more devastating,” Bott said. “We need to reach as many people as we can.”

It is said that Christmas time is the season for giving, but Bott knows that the need to receive is year-round.

“Even though holidays come and go, hunger knows no season,” Bott said. “We see these people struggle every day. Everything that comes our direction that we can give to them, we certainly appreciate.”

Bott said that if you take a look at the community around you, it’s not hard to tell if people need help.

“Encourage people to get help. There are pantries all around the state,” Bott said. “Please encourage people to get help any time of the year.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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