Meet the Thrive Market Mission Task Force 3.0

We’re on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. That’s why for every paid membership, we give a free membership to a student, teacher, veteran, first responder, or low-income family in need. But that’s just one piece of how our Thrive Market community makes an impact. Members can go one step further by donating a portion of their savings at checkout, and all donations received go directly to Thrive Gives members’ shopping carts, disaster relief efforts, and the nonprofit organizations we partner with that align to our mission.

Giving has been part of our business model since the beginning, but in 2018, we created a staff-led initiative called the Mission Task Force, which is made up of volunteers who dedicate a few hours each month to supporting the Thrive Gives program. The team is led by Mission Manager Kristin DeSimone, who loves bringing together committed employees to play an active role in moving our mission forward.

Kristin DeSimone

How would you describe the Thrive Gives program to someone learning about it for the first time?

We’re on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. That’s why for every paid membership, we give a free membership to a student, teacher, veteran, or low income family in need. But that’s only the beginning of how our Thrive Market member community can make an impact. Members can go one step further by donating a portion of their savings at checkout. All donations received go directly to Thrive Gives member coupons, disaster relief efforts, and any nonprofit organization we partner with that aligns to our mission.

How does the task force help support the work of Thrive Gives?

Thrive Market isn’t just a company with a mission; we are on a mission. By bringing together a team of our most committed employees from across the business to play an active role in continuing to move our mission forward, we will ensure that we not only maintain but strengthen that commitment into the future.
Task force members are encouraged to use their specific skill sets to help elevate the mission as well as activate other employees and our member community to participate in all of the exciting work we’re doing. The task force has proven to be instrumental in maximizing our social impact.

What’s been the most rewarding part of leading the task force so far?

It’s been so inspiring to see how much the task force has been able to accomplish over the last six months, whether it was organizing Thrive Market employee volunteer opportunities with Baby2Baby, The Surfrider Foundation, Boarding for Breast Cancer, and The Lynne Cohen Foundation or orchestrating a $50,000 Thanksgiving food donation to Big Sunday in Los Angeles. The team has quickly activated employees and our member community alike. Coming together with talented people who share the passion to positively impact our community and our planet is the most rewarding part of all.

Davis Brown

What inspired you to volunteer for the task force?

Since joining Thrive Market in 2017, I’ve always enjoyed volunteering at various events—from packaging kits for the homeless to organizing clothing for kids and painting school playgrounds. When the opportunity became available to take my volunteer capacity to the next level by joining the Mission Task Force, I couldn’t say no.

What are some of your favorite causes and why?

I think the cause that stands out most to me is our work with the MOvember foundation. Mental health has been something that has personally impacted my family, so it was great to have the chance to work with an organization that encourages men to talk about mental and overall health initiatives. Plus, growing a mustache was pretty fun. I look forward to many more years of growing a terrible mustache for the cause.

Lily Comba

What inspired you to volunteer for the task force?

I was a Thrive Market member before I joined as an employee. I would get those beautiful green boxes delivered to my college dorm. One of the main reasons I chose to shop on Thrive Market—in addition to the convenience and savings—was because I knew the company gave back. I loved seeing photos of volunteer events on social media and reading about it on the blog. It inspired me to volunteer more in my own free time, and I felt good about supporting a company that cared about larger issues. Having worked at Thrive Market for just over two years, I wanted to be able to give back to the group that gave me so much inspiration and hope all those years ago. I love attending our volunteer days and being part of a community that cares.

What are some of your favorite causes and why?

Organizations that support kiddos! Baby2Baby and Big Sunday are two organizations that we work with every year—I love volunteering with them (rain or shine!) to support families in need.

Caryn Carver

What inspired you to volunteer for the task force?

It’s taken me years to figure out how to start incorporating healthier, more sustainable products into my life. I still get overwhelmed when trying to figure out what’s healthy versus unhealthy, what’s safe versus unsafe, and what’s sustainable versus unsustainable. It’s outrageous that making healthy choices is so hard, and I don’t think it needs to be this way. It’s why I wanted to work on Thrive Market’s content team, where I have the ability to simplify information and make healthy living more accessible to those who have limited time and resources. Volunteering with the Mission Task Force was an exciting opportunity to work with colleagues on different teams and figure out how I could deepen my impact.

What are some of your favorite causes and why?
A few years ago, I traveled through parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon and developed a deep appreciation for our planet. Even though I try to do what I can to minimize my environmental impact, I know major systemic shifts need to take place in order to make a difference. It’s been inspiring to watch Thrive Market commit to some of these shifts—from bringing our fulfillment centers to zero waste to neutralizing our carbon footprint—while acknowledging there’s always room for improvement.

Austin Parks

What inspired you to volunteer for the task force?

Growing up, my family often survived due to the kindness of others. This could be help from a teacher who believed in my ability as a student and knew my family was struggling, or a donation from a church that got us through a tough time. Not being able to pay back so many often anonymous donors, I’ve made it a personal mission to “pay it forward.” The Mission Task Force allows me to get involved with great organizations and causes and helps expand my reach in being able to pay it forward and help others.

What are some of your favorite causes and why?

Anything that falls under helping people get access to basic needs and providing a sense of normalcy—such as, access to clean water or food and having clean clothing. Also, shout out to our furry friends! Please adopt! Don’t buy.