It’s a great day at the Quad Cities Community Foundation
On her first day as Quad Cities Community Foundation’s new administrative assistant, Luann Polissaint was handed a jar of Play-Doh during an informal staff meeting.
“They told me, ‘We’re all making self-portraits out of Play-Doh today as a way to reflect on how we see ourselves, and how we want to portray ourselves to others.’ I couldn’t help but smile,” recalled Polissaint, a Moline native. It wasn’t long after that staff meeting that she realized she was in the right place. “I said to myself, ‘I think I’m going to like it here!’ The staff are just ultimate professionals who work incredibly hard for every constituent they serve—but they also balance it out with a healthy office culture that values having fun and being creative together, like they did on my first day.”
As the first person people speak to when they call the office, Polissaint serves an essential role for the Community Foundation, and in many ways sets the tone of the entire organization. Her kind-hearted, jovial charisma is palpable, and there’s no doubt that her positivity will be contagious once people return to the office on a regular basis.
Having wanted to get into the nonprofit sector for some time, when Polissaint saw the job opening she immediately felt the desire to apply. “The opportunity just fell in front of me, and I’m realizing more and more each day how lucky I am to have gotten this job, and to be working with such wonderful people,” she said. “Everyone on the staff truly takes the time to listen to others, and to enjoy all that life has to offer.”
Though staff at the Community Foundation have been working remotely since November due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Polissaint is responsible for making sure that the mail is collected and practicalities are dealt with. Though it’s challenging to work during a pandemic anywhere, at the Community Foundation, the staff has gone the extra mile to make Polissaint feel supported.
“They all make a true effort to keep in touch with me, to keep communication going. I’ve honestly been blown away by the kindness everyone has expressed here. I can’t count the number of times our President and CEO Sherry Ristau has said to me, ‘We appreciate you.’ That just means the world to me,” said Polissaint.
“Historically, administrative assistants at the Community Foundation have always answered the phone by saying, ‘It’s a great day at the Quad Cities Community Foundation, how can I help you?’ I think that’s a really telling statement, as it’s very much the philosophy the staff lives by,” said Polissaint. “I’ve learned that every day is a great day here, even the difficult ones. I’ve learned that we’re all here to help our community, and to give to others. I’m so blessed to be part of this team.”