Read on for a closer look at all of the activities that kept WP Engine employees busy throughout October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Omaha Week of Service<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs we\u2019re starting to safely reconvene in-person, one of the first things we wanted to focus on this month was giving back to the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that goal in mind, our Omaha hub kicked off a WP Engine Week of Service, hosting three different events aimed at improving our slice of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, we teamed up with InCOMMON Community Development <\/a>to demo a new site. Employees spent hours tearing down an old ceiling and clearing debris from the space so it could undergo renovations. Once completed, the upper floors of the building will serve as low-cost apartments while the first floor will be used as a community center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/WPE-Omaha_Week-of-Service_2021.png\")
Our employee crew, hard at work at the demo site <\/em>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDays later, employees volunteered their time and efforts at The Food Bank for the Heartland<\/a> where they packed more than 1,400 meals that have since been distributed to families in need. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFor our final act of service, a group of employees spent an afternoon clearing trash from the grounds around the Ashton building to help clean up our own little corner of Omaha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In total, 19 employees volunteered more than 40 hours of their time and donated $2,250\u2014which WP Engine matched for a total of $4,500 to be split between InCOMMON, The Food Bank for the Heartland, and Keep Omaha Beautiful<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/WPE-Omaha_Week-of-Service2.jpeg\")
WP Engine employees volunteer at The Food Bank for the Heartland <\/em>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSpecial thanks go out to Britt who was our key organizer and the backbone that held up our Week of Service, as well as all the employees who volunteered their time or donated to these organizations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LGBTQIA+ History Month<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nObserved on October 11, National Coming Out Day<\/a> was meaningful for many employees, including members of Hue, our employee resource group supporting LGBTQIA+ employees and allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEllie, one of the most active members of Hue and our Omaha area leader, wrote a thought-provoking article for our company-wide intranet which focused on employee experiences with coming out and what that moment (or moments) meant to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In doing so, she spoke with community members and allies alike about the advice they\u2019d have for someone coming out, someone who\u2019s trusted with a coming out story, or someone who wants to be a beacon of help and hope for those struggling with their identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/WPE-HUE_2021.png\")
Employees showcased their spirit and support for one another with purple clothes and Zoom backgrounds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFor International Pronouns Day<\/a>, celebrated on October 20, Hue leadership composed a document full of great information for gender nonconforming individuals and those who support them. It outlined ways we can all make our online presence more inclusive and answered some frequently asked questions with regard to navigating conversations about identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\nColleagues who choose to show their own pronouns on platforms like Zoom and Slack, even if those pronouns match their born identity, pave the way for others to showcase their truest selves at work. A quick how-to sheet showed us how to make them visible, and frequently asked questions addressed topics such as what to do if you accidentally use the incorrect pronouns for a person and what to do if you hear someone else using incorrect pronouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/WPE-HUE2.png\")
Our weekly Town Hall had page after page of purple participation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn October 21, employees at all WP Engine locations were encouraged to wear purple and celebrate LGBTQIA+ Spirit Day<\/a>! Organized annually by GLAAD<\/a>, this small action symbolizes a community of individuals who seek an end to bullying on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender presentation. If you\u2019d like to take the pledge to support LGBTQIA+ youth and end bullying, you can do so on GLAAD\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWP Engine is proud of each individual who joins our team, and no matter how you identify yourself, know that you\u2019re welcome here. Huge thanks go out to Ellie and all the individuals who recognized the importance of and participated in this LGBTQIA+ History Month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Halloween Spirit Week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe rounded out a rad month of activity with a super spooky Halloween Spirit<\/em> Week! Each day we connected virtually with themed questions via Slack to facilitate conversations and bring our teams together\u2014even when large in-person gatherings aren\u2019t in the cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMonstrous Monday forced us to face our deepest fears with questions about what scares us most. Tuesday, we discussed costumes, cocktails, and cuisine, sharing our favorite kinds of soup and deciding which costumes are tired<\/em> and should be retired<\/em>. (Quick note:<\/strong> The team decided Harley Quinn costumes are retired. Just so you know.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-25-at-3.23.07-PM-1024x497.png\")
Thanks to the staff at Falconwood Park in Bellevue for a great experience!
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWednesday was double trouble as we discussed witchy topics in Slack throughout the day, and then drove in for a socially safe event after work. A double feature drive-in movie<\/a> allowed us to gather for sweet treats and family flicks, sans risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\nEveryone was provided with plenty of candy, popcorn, drinks, and other goodies, including some Omaha-hub-exclusive stickers created by Arnie! Employees brought their families and waved from their cars as we snacked, laughed, and bonded over who had and had not seen the Disney Channel classic: Halloweentown.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/WPE-Omaha_Stickers-1024x536.jpg\")
Halloween-inspired stickers were on hand for employees at WP Engine\u2019s Omaha hub <\/em>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn Thursday, we discussed childhood nostalgia and our fondest memories from the year\u2019s most fear-filled day. Throwback topics included \u201cwhat\u2019s your favorite Halloween tradition?\u201d and \u201chow old were you when you saw your first scary movie?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Friday, we were ready for some variety, which was delivered via our Zoom variety show! The Spooktacular Spectacular ended our fun and frightening week with Halloween-related skits, skills, and commentary by our very own oracles of Omaha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Days later, employees volunteered their time and efforts at The Food Bank for the Heartland<\/a> where they packed more than 1,400 meals that have since been distributed to families in need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For our final act of service, a group of employees spent an afternoon clearing trash from the grounds around the Ashton building to help clean up our own little corner of Omaha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In total, 19 employees volunteered more than 40 hours of their time and donated $2,250\u2014which WP Engine matched for a total of $4,500 to be split between InCOMMON, The Food Bank for the Heartland, and Keep Omaha Beautiful<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Special thanks go out to Britt who was our key organizer and the backbone that held up our Week of Service, as well as all the employees who volunteered their time or donated to these organizations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Observed on October 11, National Coming Out Day<\/a> was meaningful for many employees, including members of Hue, our employee resource group supporting LGBTQIA+ employees and allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ellie, one of the most active members of Hue and our Omaha area leader, wrote a thought-provoking article for our company-wide intranet which focused on employee experiences with coming out and what that moment (or moments) meant to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In doing so, she spoke with community members and allies alike about the advice they\u2019d have for someone coming out, someone who\u2019s trusted with a coming out story, or someone who wants to be a beacon of help and hope for those struggling with their identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For International Pronouns Day<\/a>, celebrated on October 20, Hue leadership composed a document full of great information for gender nonconforming individuals and those who support them. It outlined ways we can all make our online presence more inclusive and answered some frequently asked questions with regard to navigating conversations about identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Colleagues who choose to show their own pronouns on platforms like Zoom and Slack, even if those pronouns match their born identity, pave the way for others to showcase their truest selves at work. A quick how-to sheet showed us how to make them visible, and frequently asked questions addressed topics such as what to do if you accidentally use the incorrect pronouns for a person and what to do if you hear someone else using incorrect pronouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On October 21, employees at all WP Engine locations were encouraged to wear purple and celebrate LGBTQIA+ Spirit Day<\/a>! Organized annually by GLAAD<\/a>, this small action symbolizes a community of individuals who seek an end to bullying on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender presentation. If you\u2019d like to take the pledge to support LGBTQIA+ youth and end bullying, you can do so on GLAAD\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WP Engine is proud of each individual who joins our team, and no matter how you identify yourself, know that you\u2019re welcome here. Huge thanks go out to Ellie and all the individuals who recognized the importance of and participated in this LGBTQIA+ History Month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We rounded out a rad month of activity with a super spooky Halloween Spirit<\/em> Week! Each day we connected virtually with themed questions via Slack to facilitate conversations and bring our teams together\u2014even when large in-person gatherings aren\u2019t in the cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monstrous Monday forced us to face our deepest fears with questions about what scares us most. Tuesday, we discussed costumes, cocktails, and cuisine, sharing our favorite kinds of soup and deciding which costumes are tired<\/em> and should be retired<\/em>. (Quick note:<\/strong> The team decided Harley Quinn costumes are retired. Just so you know.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday was double trouble as we discussed witchy topics in Slack throughout the day, and then drove in for a socially safe event after work. A double feature drive-in movie<\/a> allowed us to gather for sweet treats and family flicks, sans risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone was provided with plenty of candy, popcorn, drinks, and other goodies, including some Omaha-hub-exclusive stickers created by Arnie! Employees brought their families and waved from their cars as we snacked, laughed, and bonded over who had and had not seen the Disney Channel classic: Halloweentown.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n On Thursday, we discussed childhood nostalgia and our fondest memories from the year\u2019s most fear-filled day. Throwback topics included \u201cwhat\u2019s your favorite Halloween tradition?\u201d and \u201chow old were you when you saw your first scary movie?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Friday, we were ready for some variety, which was delivered via our Zoom variety show! The Spooktacular Spectacular ended our fun and frightening week with Halloween-related skits, skills, and commentary by our very own oracles of Omaha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLGBTQIA+ History Month<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Halloween Spirit Week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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