Call Center Employees Throw Baby Showers To Collect For Oklahoma Charity

The employees of a Tulsa call center pulled together Thursday to make a big donation to a local agency that helps the youngest Oklahomans.

Emergency Infant Services is always in need of things like diapers, baby formula, and clothes.

So, the folks at the Avis Budget Group call center decided to help. They've been hosting baby showers to collect items for EIS, and Thursday, they delivered the goods.

They brought a whole van load, packed to the ceiling with items donated by Avis Budget Group employees.

They select a charity to help each quarter, and EIS was it for this quarter.

In addition to all the stuff they delivered Thursday, they also donated their time, staying all day and doing whatever needed to be done.

"We deliver, sort of. We are one-stop shopping call center people," said Sandra Downs.

Downs called EIS to find out what they needed most. They said they needed clothes for boys. The goal was to collect 100 complete new outfits and they got more than 200, plus clothes for girls, and even more gently used outfits, too.

"It's not a one-quarter or one-year initiative," said Paul Dominy. "The idea is to develop the notion of helping the community amongst the entire workforce. That means, next year we'll help even more, and other departments will help, and so on.

EIS is celebrating 35 years of helping Tulsa's children and infants and they say the need is growing.

"I've been here about five years. In the five years, we have doubled the number of families and children we are serving," said Marsha Bukofzer.

Bukofzer is the volunteer coordinator at EIS, and she said they use everything that's donated and then some. In the last fiscal year, they gave out nearly 400,000 diapers.

Over the years, EIS said they've been able to keep up with the need thanks to hundreds of volunteers like the folks from the Avis Budget Group.

EIS said they always need volunteers. Click here to find out how you can help.