Social distancing and reduced amounts of human contact and connection have taken an emotional toll on countless people across the globe. This is especially true for senior citizens who are among the more vulnerable community members to coronavirus. In the spring, many of the 1,500+ residents of Cedar Crest, a senior living community in New Jersey, were unable to leave their apartments and had meals delivered to their door three times per week.  These circumstances have had a significant effect on the well-being of the residents.

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced Amelia Moore, who was finishing her master’s degree in Art Therapy at the Pratt Institute, to pause the in-person practical components of her program. Like many other students, she was forced to leave school and return home. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing prompted her to wonder how parents and kids were holding up in this new world. Quickly Amelia noticed that her father, 5’s Chief Strategy Officer and one of our Founding 5ers, was able to conduct most of his business remotely using Zoom.

Let There Be Light International (LTBLI) is a non-profit organization based in Buffalo, New York, whose mission is to bring solar power to people and communities without access to an electricity grid. 

Irving, TX - June 19, 2020

For the fifth consecutive year, energy advisory firm 5 was named as one of the top 10 Best Companies to Work for in Texas, having placed third on this year’s list. The award was created in 2006 and is a project of Texas Monthly, the Texas Association of Business (TAB), Texas SHRM and Best Companies Group.  The list of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Texas and how they rank was revealed at the Texas Association of Business (TAB) Best Companies to Work for in Texas Virtual Gala on June 18, 2020.

We are honored that 5 has once again been named as a “Best Workplaces in Texas” by Texas Monthly magazine. This is the 5th consecutive year that we have been named in the TOP 10 Best Workplaces in Texas and we are proud that our company culture continues to impact our many stakeholders, including our employees, clients and suppliers.

This month our team is celebrating our 4^th consecutive appearance on Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces in America list. From our humble beginnings over 8 years ago, we have been intentional about building our culture with the fundamental belief that our company should create a positive outcome for our clients, employees, suppliers, vendors and the environment.  One of the ways we have done this is through our involvement as a stakeholder in a movement called Conscious Capitalism, which seeks to elevate humanity through business.

One of 5's long-time clients, Carlton Towers in Passaic, New Jersey, encouraged their residents to gather on their balconies to thank first responders and front-line healthcare workers.  One glance at the smiles, flags, heartfelt messages, and united praise for all the brave men and women risking their lives made us feel hopeful and grateful. We think it will do the same for you. Check out the video below to see how this community showed their appreciation for local healthcare heroes. Click here to read the article. 

Are you looking for a fun, creative way to entertain your homebound children?  Could you use an hour-long break on a Friday where someone else plans the activities for your kids?

One of the key ingredients to 5’s award-winning culture has been our team’s complete adoption and integration of the video conferencing platform Zoom.   Considering the current need to stay connected with co-workers, clients and vendors while working remote, we wanted to share our top 5 tips for video chatting at work.

According to a recent survey, the most common New Year’s resolutions are to exercise more (50%), adopt better eating habits (43%) and lose weight (37%).  Unfortunately, another survey suggests that most of those resolutions last only 19 days.  In fact, Strava (a social fitness and tracking network) calls January 19^th, “Quitter’s Day” as there is a precipitous drop in logged exercise and activities after that date.  One strategy that has helped many 5ers has been the creation of a private Facebook group oriented around fitness. 

In this Facebook group, both 5ers and their spouses post their workouts, photos and videos as way to motivate and support one another to improve their fitness and make healthy lifestyle changes.  Nearly every coach and fitness expert will affirm that the support of a community is an important element in helping one remain accountable to their goals and to develop positive habits.