This season, our eyes have been opened to the work of the Roanoke Rescue Mission.

Each day, this nonprofit feeds and shelters hundreds of area families experiencing financial and personal hardships. For far too many in our community, the Rescue Mission is a safe-haven against abuse, addiction, homelessness and hopelessness.

Inspired by the Mission's intense dedication to the Roanoke Valley, our Magnets USA family wanted to lend a hand. We started last month by collecting donations for the Mission's Back 2 School Blast, an annual event that helps more than 1,500 children of low-income families prepare for the upcoming academic year.

Craving an even more hands-on experience, several of our team members and their children gathered at the Mission early Saturday morning. In just two hours, we had peeled 200 pounds of potatoes and filled 250 brown bags with sandwiches, chips, cookies and condiments — and had a blast doing it. For us, helping at the Rescue Mission was a great opportunity to strengthen relationships that make our time at work even more meaningful.

As a company rooted in the Roanoke Valley since its founding, we were thrilled to be a small part of such an expansive outreach.

If you've ever wondered how to best market yourself and your business, Daniel is a great people to turn to. If you've ever thought about exploring Alaska, he's also great person to turn to!

As an account executive, Daniel's job is to help our clients find the best marketing products and services for their business. One of the best ways to do that is to ask questions to get a feel for how his clients’ businesses work and suggest a product that best fits their industry or style.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? I’ve officially been with the company for nine years this month.

What's the most rewarding part of the job? My favorite aspect of my job is building relationships with my clients. It’s really rewarding to get to work with so many great people for all these years. They seem more like friends than clients.

If you could live someone else’s life for a day, who would you choose? I’m really into the marine aquarium hobby. So with that being said, I would love to be a retired millionaire with no other obligation than to scuba dive and explore the Great Barrier Reef. (I’ve never scuba dived before, but it’s on the bucket list.)

If you had an unexpected day off, what would you do? I would probably pull a lazy day and go tubing on the New River.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done? I would have to say my journey to Alaska with my father and brother several years ago. From deep-sea fishing for 30-plus-pound Halibut to whale-watching while on a glacier tour, Alaska has some of the most amazing sights I have ever seen.

This week, meet two members of our IT department, Steve Bono and Travis Jones. These guys ensure that all our computers are healthy and happy. When a server, network or (shriek!) the Internet is down, Steve and Travis are on the scene, prepared to get everything back on track so we can all breathe easier. It's difficult to describe a typical day in IT because, outside of routine maintenance, anything can — and will — happen.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? I'm in my 14th year.

What’s the best part of the job? I find the most rewarding part of my job is the impact we see when we implement a new process, system, piece of equipment or fix an outstanding issue, either for an individual or for the company as a whole.

If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would do? I would sit down with a financial adviser. I read an article once that suggested more than 50 percent of lottery winners are bankrupt within five years, and I would not want to fall into that category.

What’s one of your favorite childhood memories?  My family used to vacation in Maine every year when I was younger. Unlike the beaches in the south, pine forests butt right up against the coastline in much of New England. I can clearly remember, as a child, the feeling on your bare feet as you walk across soft beds of fallen pine needles on your trek out to the beach.

If you could witness any historical event, what would it be? This is a tough one to answer — my degree was in history and I love learning about historical events. If I was just there to witness the event and I couldn't have any direct effect on it, I would have to say the early 1940s in America. It would have been amazing to see the transformation in our country as everyone pitched in to help in the war effort.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Since December of 2013.

What’s the best part of the job? Fixing a problem that you have been working on for weeks.

What’s your idea of a perfect day? When everyone’s having an awesome day, it tends to make my day perfect!

When was the last time you had an amazing meal? Nawab, Indian food buffet!

This week, we'd like to you meet one of our graphic designers, Geoff Thomas, and Erin Zurawka, our order provisioning supervisor.

Like all our designers, Geoff is top-notch and dedicated to making your vision a reality. A typical day spans the gamut — creating proofs for customer orders, designing new products, evaluating incoming artwork, creating custom designs and preparing files for printing or running the printing press.

As an administrative leader, Erin is a liaison between our customers and the graphics department. She ensures that orders are moving through the process and assists representatives with questions about orders and artwork.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Nine years.

What’s the best part of the job? Every day is different.

What are three words that best describe your personality? Creative, unconventional and sarcastic.

What’s the one modern convenience you couldn’t live without? Air-conditioning.

If you were a super hero for a day, what would your power be? To stop time — that way, I could keep my power longer.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Almost 13 years.

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? Working for a small company, I know my voice is heard. I’ve seen the company grow and improve exponentially based on employee and customer feedback. It’s been a great experience!

If you won $1 million, how would you spend it? Traveling around the world in luxury.

Who's your favorite musician?

Justin Timberlake. I’ve seen him five times in concert in the past year!

Beach or mountains?
Mountains. Snowy mountains. Let it snow!

Where would we be without these two team members? This week, meet Kelly Green, who pulls double-duty as our accounting and human relations manager. But don't let her love of numbers fool you. Kelly is also a professional, award-winning bluegrass musician for Acoustic Endeavors, a group she co-founded in 1992.

Next is our meticulous proofreader, Tara Lincoln. Tara is often our last line of defense for all in-house and customer designs. Everything from spelling and text inaccuracies to graphic issues meet their match under Tara's watchful eye.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? 11 years.

What's the best part of the job? Working with such a fun group of people every day and the diversity of the job. There's never a dull moment in the accounting office.

What's the best gift you've ever received, and what made it so special? My parents bought me a fiddle and a guitar when I was young. I grew up in a musical family. Music has taken me literally all over the world. I've been fortunate to have lived and traveled all over Europe, England and Ireland. I would not have had those opportunities if it wasn't for those two gifts. I have met some very dear lifelong friends because of the music my parents instilled in me as a child.

What's your favorite thing to do in the Roanoke Valley on the weekends? Work in my garden, spend time with my three huge bulldogs (Maybelle, Vassar and Monroe — all named after famous bluegrass musicians) and enjoy the wonderful live music scene.

As a child, what was your dream job? I have always loved numbers, so my dream job was to be in the accounting field. I am so very lucky to be doing exactly what I dreamed of doing when I grew up.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? I've been here eight years now.

What's the most rewarding part of the job?
Having the respect of the designers, even when I correct them all day.

What's the best adventure you've ever been on?
Watching the sea turtles in Costa Rica.
If you could go back and give your 18-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be? Learn more about the real world; It can't be found in a book.
What's your favorite season?
Fall. I grew up in the mountains and love the colors of the trees and the crispness of the air.