The Visual Bucket List Foundation received this donation check Thursday from StarTek. MANSFIELD — Employees and volunteers from Startek presented Christine and Steven Myers, co-founders of The Visual Bucket List Foundation (VBLF), with a check for $2,907 at a ceremony at Startek on Thursday afternoon. To earn the funds, Startek volunteers worked a total of 524 hours, filling 132 volunteer guest bartending slots at INKcarceration, donating all of their tips to VBLF. Upon receiving the check, the Myers were “completely shocked and incredibly grateful,” according to Steven, who “expected the amount to be closer to last year’s donation of $600.” Startek invests in Richland County through numerous community efforts. In the past they’ve worked with the Domestic Violence Shelter, Catholic Charities, the Veterans Commission, Citivan, Catalyst, and have supported the Christmas Tree Lighting and many other organizations and events throughout the community. Jeannine Lemus, Startek’s Community Relations Specialist, explains that “education, the children, and the community are important to Startek because we are such a large employer. It’s not just employing; it’s giving back. We want to make sure we’re not just another business, just another building. We have a heart for our community and its survival. We want to see it thrive and by giving back, that’s how we do that. Last year just from employee fundraising we were able to put around $34,000 back into Richland County charities either by in-kind or dollar donations.” Lemus, always looking for new opportunities to engage with the community, met The Visual Bucket List Foundation’s co-founders at a Chamber of Commerce After Hours last year. The VBLF, a Mansfield-born non-profit, provides children with visual impairment diagnoses opportunities to create lasting visual memories before they lose their vision. For each child they craft a unique experience catered to their list, interests, and abilities. In their first three years, the VBLF has sent children to Disneyworld, to Christmas light flyovers in Ohio, to a dinosaur dig in South Dakota, to a day with the Blue Angels in Florida. They have provided children with E-Sight glasses that, in some cases, gave them the chance […]

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