On Fridays, Theresa wears a special blue polo shirt around the Brooks campus. The shirt is a beacon of her support of the WHEEL Club, and shows how she goes above and beyond, bringing the Brooks mission to everyday life.
Through the WHEEL Club (We're Helping Everyone Experience Life), Brooks employees give back to the community through personal donations of time and money to help residents with physical disabilities return to the lives they know.
"Giving to WHEEL is a natural extension of what we do at Brooks every day to change people's lives," says Theresa. "It's our opportunity to bridge our philosophy from work to everyday life."
Theresa, manager of referral development, contributes part of her salary to the WHEEL Club through regular payroll deductions - a practice she's been doing since the program was established in 2004. With every pay increase, Theresa increases her WHEEL contribution.
Today the WHEEL Club is a just as a much a part of Brooks as the commitment, expertise and positive attitudes of Brooks employees. The opportunity to participate is always available and new employees are introduced to the club at employee orientation.
"The WHEEL Club has different levels of giving, so I picked the level of contribution that fits my values. I was raised to give back, so when the opportunity came along, I saw it as a perfect fit for my core beliefs," said Theresa.
"Our mission is incredible," Theresa says in her blue polo shirt. "I do my best every day to do my part living up to our mission of changing people's lives."