Hannah Baleme/MDN Clarence O’Berry, right, CEO of POEM Design Co., stands with crew members, from left to right, Aric O’Berry, Yan Peng, Heidi Hampton, Andy Hauser, Sebastian Hester, Gabe Reule, Paul Skees, Justin Roe and Sara Hill.

In a heartwarming initiative this past year, POEM Design Co. harnessed the power of social media for their campaign, “Giving Back Together.”

Headquartered in downtown Minot, POEM Design’s campaign asked the community to nominate and vote for different charities throughout the region, with one winner each month receiving $1,000 going toward the charity.

“We have been finding amazing people. It has turned out even better than we would have thought,” said Ryshun Sampson, digital marketing coordinator at POEM Design Co.

The first charity that won the nomination was a woman who created “Houston’s Lift Off.”

“The woman was in the NICU with her newborn son for four months before his passing. She then made it her personal mission to help other families in Minot in that same situation with gas vouchers, food, camaraderie and hope,” said Raelene Boylan, assistant director of marketing at POEM Design Co.

The second charity that had the most nominations was called “My Style Matters” based in Atlanta, Georgia.

“The founder of the charity had her own experience with breast cancer at a young age and vowed that if she survived she would help other people in the same situation,” Boylan said.

“They help out with all sorts of things, they provide healthy cooking classes, retreats, and caregiver support groups,” she added.

The third beneficiary, announced on Dec. 15, was “Leia’s Kids,” an organization dedicated to easing the journey of childhood cancer.

Boylan said it’s wonderful seeing the community working and coming together to support each other.

“We’re all helping each other during Christmastime and amplifying these great causes,” Boylan said. “We want everybody to feel like we’re one, we’re in this together, and we all need to help each other out.”

Sampson and Boylan are not sure if the campaign will continue every month after Christmas, but are thinking of making it a quarterly event to give away a larger amount to local charities.

“We can’t wait to see what an impact this will have on Minot. Even if people do not have any direct contact with a charity, we want them to know they are not alone. And to know that there are people out there willing to help,” Sampson said.

According to Paul Skees, who oversees POEM’s Minot operations, the groundwork for this campaign stems from their CEO Clarence O’Berry. “Clarence sees the world not as separate entities but as one vast family. This perspective propels him to extend a helping hand wherever it is needed,” Skees said.

Currently, O’Berry is in Minot working at POEM Design.