Some workplace initiatives fade after the first year. The DataBank Cares Kindness Kit program has done the opposite. Each spring, DataBank employees across multiple cities come together to assemble care packages filled with personal hygiene and household essentials, then donate them to local shelters, recovery programs, and advocacy organizations serving women, children, and individuals in need.

What began as a modest single-city effort has grown into one of DataBank Cares’ signature annual campaigns, reaching more volunteers, more markets, and more people with each passing year.

This spring brought the program’s strongest results yet. Across four metro markets — Houston, Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Denver — 83 DataBank volunteers assembled and donated 852 Kindness Kits, contributing 216 volunteer hours in the process. Employees also donated or helped secure nearly $2,500 in goods and financial support for partner organizations.

Three Years and Growing

Now in its third consecutive year, the DataBank Cares Kindness Kit program continues to grow. Employees assembled 340 kits in 2024, 650 in 2025, and 852 this year, representing more than 150% growth over two years. 

That momentum reflects expanding participation across DataBank markets and the energy of employee resource groups (ERGs) like the Women of DataBank, one of several ERGs that channel employee passion into community action. From the Veterans Network and Volunteer Corps to the Multicultural Group and Pride at DataBank, these ERGs give employees a structured way to lead meaningful initiatives beyond the workplace.

This year’s kits reached four organizations doing vital work in their communities:

• Houston Area Women’s Center (Houston): HAWC provides crisis intervention, counseling, and shelter services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. This year, 22 DataBank volunteers showed up with 300 Kindness Kits and 44 hours of their time.
• Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County (Dallas): The center serves children who have experienced abuse and trauma. Dallas fielded the program’s largest volunteer turnout, with 25 employees contributing 100 hours alongside 202 donated kits.
• Alpine Recovery Lodge (Salt Lake City) Alpine Recovery Lodge supports women on the path to recovery from addiction. Twenty-six Salt Lake City volunteers dedicated 52 hours and delivered 300 kits to the organization.
• Hope House Colorado (Denver) Hope House empowers young mothers living in poverty through education and wraparound support services. Ten Denver volunteers contributed 20 hours and donated 50 kits to the cause.

Together, these four organizations represent the range of need that exists in the communities surrounding DataBank’s facilities. They also reflect a shared belief among DataBank employees: that showing up for neighbors matters, whether that means powering critical infrastructure or assembling a care package for someone who needs one.

Community Is Part of the Infrastructure

Kindness Kits are one expression of a larger commitment that shows up across DataBank’s markets in different forms throughout the year.

A few recent examples:

• Earth Day volunteering: This past Earth Day, DataBank employee-owners volunteered across multiple cities for environmental cleanups, sustainable farming projects, and trail restoration efforts.
• Atlanta pollinator garden: When construction at DataBank’s Atlanta campus turned up a rare and threatened wildflower, DataBank partnered with local environmental experts to protect and preserve it, sparking an ongoing stewardship effort that continues today.
• Culpeper career pathways: DataBank partnered with a Culpeper, Virginia trade school to give 40 electrical students a hands-on immersion in data center careers, from classroom instruction to a live construction site visit.
• Atlanta career exploration: DataBank’s Atlanta campus hosted a career exploration event for local young people, showcasing the diverse, high-paying opportunities available in the data center industry beyond traditional college pathways.

The numbers tell part of the story. The rest belongs to the 83 DataBankers who gave their time this spring to make sure 852 people received something they needed.

Want to learn more about how DataBank is investing in the communities where we operate? Visit our Community Relations page or explore DataBank Digest for more stories about our people, our partners, and the neighborhoods we’re proud to call home. Read more about our DataBank Cares programs.