“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle.” 

This maxim from the Buddha reminds us that a single act of kindness or service can have far-reaching benefits—often assisting those we never expected to support. MarketSource team members are prepared to seize those opportunities by providing excellent customer service to clients and making sure they receive what they need to build their businesses and aid their communities. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, District Manager Jon Green received a large purchase order through one of his team captains, Heliberto Favela, for 70 smartphones. Ready to help, Jon’s team not only provided their new client with 12 phones at Heliberto’s location but also led a week-long search at seven additional store locations to provide the other 58.  

Throughout the exchange, Jon remained in constant contact with the guest to ensure she had a smooth and easy transaction. Believing he was providing working phones for his client’s 70 employees, Jon recalls he “was extremely happy to be of service” and believed his team was making an impact in the community during a critical time. 

A week later, Jon learned just how big an impact his team had made. The client sent him a text revealing that Jon’s team had provided the phones necessary to create a meal-delivery system for senior citizens, putting into service some of her company’s self-driving cars. Initially used for a shuttle program to transport engineers and employees between campuses and other locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, the client’s company realized it could transform its autonomous fleet into a delivery system for the community, making it easier to service at-risk populations during the pandemic.  

Thanks to Jon and his team’s efforts, the autonomous technology start-up was able to make more than 1,200 contactless deliveries in the first eight days of its project. This got 2,500 meals provided by local restaurants and organizations into the hands of low-income, Bay Area seniors. Because the meal-delivery program is offered for free, it helps many service organizations save money on gasoline and other transportation-related costs. As a result, multiple organizations that provide income and meals to those in need can now expand their services and work with more restaurants and partners. A movement facilitated by a MarketSource team is now aiding hundreds of people in the Bay Area.  

Jon, who thought he was just helping a client who “needed to take care of their employees,” is proud that his team’s efforts ended up benefiting an entire community during such a trying time.  

Congratulations to Jon Green for earning a 2020 MarketSource Hero Award, demonstrating a commitment to Serving Others along with his dedicated team. By exercising this MarketSource corporate value, Jon and his team’s customer service not only met the needs of a single client but helped provide needed support for their entire community.