At Red Rock, purpose isn’t just what we do for clients – it’s how we show up every day.

From public health campaigns to climate-conscious branding, we’re proud that our work as an agency is rooted in impact. But behind the campaigns and deliverables is a team of humans who care deeply — and NOT just during business hours.

From stigma-shattering mental health initiatives to innovative sustainability and manufacturing advocacy, we’re honored to partner with organizations doing real work in the world. Whether it’s working with the APT Foundation and CALM NOLA to destigmatize treatment, supporting next-gen leadership and workforce development with ManufactureCT, or helping Matelex promote leak detection technologies that reduce environmental harm — our clients inspire us daily with their mission-driven impact.

But our commitment to purpose doesn’t end when the campaign wraps.

We recently asked our team: How do you give back — whether through volunteering, mutual aid, or personal causes?

Here’s what they had to say:

Jess Mannering — Social Media Manager
If you know me, you know I’ve always had a soft spot for animals — and my home reflects that. Over the years, we’ve taken in everything from rescue dogs to a wild rabbit and even a flying squirrel (yes, literally). Giving back has always been second nature to me, whether it’s through caring for animals or helping people in need.

The holiday season is my absolute favorite time of year, and I’ve always been deeply intentional about gift-giving — making people feel seen and loved during that time especially. That’s why, year after year, I participate in The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. It helps provide Christmas gifts to local children and seniors who may otherwise go without. Being able to surprise someone else during the holiday season truly makes my heart happy. I just love the idea that someone wakes up on Christmas morning feeling cared for, remembered, and loved. If I can put even one smile on someone’s face that day, it’s worth everything.

Outside of the holidays, I try to give back wherever I can. I’ve fundraised for causes close to my heart, like colorectal cancer in honor of my best friend Keegan, breast cancer awareness, and other community-based needs. I also regularly donate to women’s shelters and food pantries throughout the year. It’s just my way of trying to show up and make even a small difference — in work, and in life.

Claire Edwards — Project Manager
My family and I sponsor these two boys in Busia, Uganda, through a small yet fabulous British charity called Step Up Family Organisation. Our small monthly donation pays for their education, school supplies, school uniform, emergency healthcare, two meals per day throughout term time, and access to clean drinking water. These are life changing things for these two boys. Ibra does not have parents or family and lives in the charity safe house, and Ashilaf lives with his grandmother and younger brother.

Though we would willingly donate and support these boys if we received nothing in return, the small nature of this charity means we can really connect and share photos, videos, letters, gifts, and even go to Uganda and experience a safari in the future, to meet and spend time with our sponsored child. They have no idea of the priceless gifts they unknowingly give my family and I, in allowing us to be a small part of their lives.

Periodically throughout the year, we can choose to support additional charity-led initiatives such as campaigns to replace old mattresses, mosquito nets, buy blankets, vital food parcels for the families to utilize outside of term time, and my personal favourite this year’s Christmas Animal campaign. In fact, I had waaaaaay too much fun getting all my friends and family involved in the fundraising for Operation Chicken and Goat. 🐔🐐

This year, we had the opportunity to donate and raise money for chickens, goats, and even calves for the children of the school. A simple chicken can be life changing for these kids. They’ll use the eggs, breed the chickens, then swap for ducks. Then they swap ducks for a goat, then goats for a cow! This helps them get ahead in life, put food on the table and support their families, and provide a future.

If you’re interested in sponsoring a child, click here.

Glen McDermott — Founder & CEO

Cleaning the Trails of Spain – When I first moved to the Costa Blanca, I was stunned by how endlessly beautiful it was. The limestone mountains glowing at sunrise, the scent of rosemary drifting across the trails, the Mediterranean flashing blue in the distance—every ride on my e-mountain bike felt like a small miracle. Over two years, I covered more than 5,000 kilometers, chasing ridgelines, hidden valleys, and quiet forest tracks.

But along the way, I also noticed something else: trash.

At first, I told myself it wasn’t my responsibility. But each time I rode past, the same thought returned—if I love these trails, why not care for them too? So one day I stopped, picked up what I could, and tucked it into my pack. The next day, I brought a small bag. Soon, cleaning the trails became as natural as shifting gears.

Sometimes people passed without a word. Other times, hikers paused to say “gracias,” or a fellow cyclist lifted a thumb in encouragement. Those small gestures made the work feel even more meaningful. I wasn’t just riding through this landscape anymore—I was taking part in preserving it.

And slowly, I could see the difference. A clearing looked cleaner. A lookout point felt restored. A stretch of singletrack seemed to breathe again, free from the clutter that once weighed on it.

I came to the Costa Blanca to explore its natural beauty. I didn’t expect that picking up trash—one piece at a time—would deepen my connection to this place more than any mountain peak or fast descent. But it has. Each ride reminds me that even small acts matter, especially when they’re done with love for the land beneath your tires.

Jennifer Carmichael — PR Manager & Copywriter
By giving back in small, steady ways throughout the year, I aim to strengthen my community. For 17 years, I’ve been involved in my children’s schools, from preschool through high school, and in their sports teams, helping wherever needed. Even now, I continue to support my son’s college baseball program, helping with their annual fundraiser or signing up to bring Gatorade for the team.

I also help neighbors and community members in practical ways, supporting local GoFundMe campaigns, contributing to food drives, or donating gently used clothing and household items to local organizations and Goodwill. Letting all the stuff collect dust in the attic or hang forever in a closet doesn’t help anyone. 

One of the most meaningful experiences for me was walking a marathon with my sister and her friends the year she recovered from breast cancer. It was an incredible feeling to celebrate her and cross the finish line, all while raising money for the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation.

Even in everyday moments, such as picking up trash on walks or lending a hand where I can, I hope my small acts of kindness make a difference.

Christian Bran — Creative Director
I’m committed to giving back in ways that support my community, the next generation, and the planet.

As a former VP of AIGA Connecticut, I helped plan, organize, and host events that brought the creative community together—workshops, networking nights, and resource-driven gatherings that helped designers learn, connect, and grow. I’ve also been part of AIGA’s mentorship program for four years, working one-on-one with emerging designers and supporting their professional development.

I make a point to reduce waste in my day-to-day life, staying mindful of energy, water, food, and materials, and choosing eco-friendly products and companies that align with sustainable values. I often reference resources like the EPA’s Recycling & Sustainable Living guidelines to stay informed about best practices.

I also dedicate time to pro bono design work for nonprofits and charities, using my skills to support meaningful causes and communities that benefit from creative help. Platforms such as Catchafire help connect me with organizations that need design support.

Kim Fleck – Social Media Engagement Specialist
Giving back isn’t something I grew into; it’s something I was raised in. My mom modeled compassion in every season of life, showing me that generosity isn’t about how much you have, but how willing you are to show up. From childhood, I remember helping deliver food to local pantries, donating toys to children and families in need, and watching her quietly give back to people whenever she could. Those early experiences shape how I move through the world today.

As I got older, I carried those values with me. In college, I found myself dropping off food to animal shelters, making handmade holiday gifts for nursing home residents, and staying deeply involved in community causes whenever I could. Later in life, when I became a special education teacher in Massachusetts, worked as a community support counselor in New Hampshire, and eventually became a special education teacher in Connecticut, my students and clients joined me in this work. We volunteered at animal shelters, advocated for humane legislation, and continued the tradition of making holiday gifts for elders each year.

At our schools, we found ourselves helping animals in need in all kinds of ways — caring for the feral cat colonies on campus, supporting senior projects that focused on fostering animals who needed a safe place to land, and being there for students and families when their own animals were going through a crisis. Those moments became some of the most meaningful parts of my teaching and community support work.

One organization very close to my heart is the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. Each year, we participate in the 5K for Kindness — RACE FOR CATHERINE, an event built on compassion, community, and healing. Catherine, a six-year-old girl with an extraordinary love for animals and one of the students whose life was tragically taken at Sandy Hook Elementary School, often whispered to animals, “Tell all your friends that I am kind.” Her sanctuary in Newtown, CT, now carries that message forward, creating a haven for humans, animals, and the environment — the world Catherine dreamed of. And of course, Wu Kitty and Finn are part of the tradition too; they race virtually every year, cheering and helping raise awareness and donations, and they donated two sets of their books, Wisdom in the Meow, in English and Spanish, to CVH’s new addition, Catherine’s Learning Barn. This year, our little team raised $1,650 — a reminder that when people and animals come together, kindness multiplies.

Animal welfare has always been at the center of my life. I support countless organizations, including Boston’s Forgotten Felines, Best Friends Animal Society, CT Votes for Animals, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, RedRover, Friends of Feral Cheshire Cats, Alley Cat Allies, Grey2KUSA, Reservation Animal Rescue, Claws N Paws Rehabilitation Center, The Donkey’s Cross, and more. Through my book Wisdom in the Meow and my short story in the anthology Rescued Volume 2: The Healing Stories of 12 Cats, Through Their Eyes, I’ve also used my creative work to raise awareness and funds for animals who need a voice. My heart is always ready to lend a hand — whether through fostering, transporting, fundraising, legislative advocacy, online outreach, or simply spreading the word.

My giving back extends far beyond animal welfare. I support and uplift organizations focused on women’s rights, LGBTQ+ equality, disability inclusion, education, veterans, the unhoused community, public health, the environment, and human rights. Some of the groups I advocate for include Amirah, The Trevor Project, Southern Poverty Law Center, Human Rights Campaign, Sandy Hook Promise, Ehlers-Danlos Society,  APT Foundation, NPR, National Wildlife Federation, The Covenant House, American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS),  and the Ukraine Emergency Animal Relief Fund. Locally, I participate in Shane Gives Thanks Inc, Food Pantry, and The Giving Tree put on by The Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless, helping children and families receive holiday gifts, warm clothing, and essential support.

No matter what I’m supporting, my goal is pretty simple: be present, lend a hand where I can, and back the groups—large or small—that are doing good work. If that helps make the world a bit more compassionate, then I feel like I’m doing my part.

Purpose, In Every Form

Giving back doesn’t look one way — and that’s what makes it POWERFUL. Whether it’s through professional impact, personal advocacy, or community support, we believe purpose is something you practice.

It shows up in the campaigns we build, the clients we champion, and the ways we move through the world outside of work.

We’re proud to be a team of givers, dreamers, and doers — and grateful to share some of the ways we give back beyond the brand.

Because when you’re rooted in purpose, it shows up in EVERYTHING — from a well-timed Instagram post to a well-stocked food pantry.

If you’re a mission-driven brand looking for a marketing partner who believes in purpose on AND off the clock, we’d love to connect! Let’s create something meaningful — together…

👉 Book a FREE 1:1 Discovery Call with our Founder & CEO, Glen today.