Charity of the Month Connections Matter

It was another amazing connection experience with one of our charity of the month partners at the New Avenues to Independence Holiday Ball.  New Avenues to Independence was our Facebook charity partner during the month of October.  This non-profit organization provides opportunities to adults with disabilities and assists them in leading independent and productive lives.  As we looked for a special way to support New Avenues during the month of October, we discovered that a song had been written for them by Jody Soland, a singer and songwriter. It just held a small icon on their website and cried out for so much more. Erik, our Marketing Communication Manager, spent time with the New Avenues staff, and the disabled adults they support as he toured their facility and learned about their organization. He was touched by the amount of kindness and support that was woven into everything this organization did.

Erik did a fabulous job of capturing this energy and setting it to Jody’s song. The result was a video that we shared on social media, that New Avenues shared, and that was proudly displayed at their annual holiday ball this week. We were told that they wanted to develop video for years to share their mission, but didn’t have the funding. Over 450 people attended the event and the New Avenue’s administration was so touched by the video that we were presented with a plaque signed by a number of the disabled adults from New Avenues.  Hugs followed and it was one of those priceless moments.

In addition to the video, we spent time getting to know Jody, who has performed for a number of non-profits and organizations locally and nationally. We also learned she is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor. She was impressed by the community work we do and how that sets us apart from the many other law firms in our area.  Our story touched her heart, and her’s touched ours.  We had made a new friend.

We also connected with Super Heroes for Kids in Ohio, an amazing organization that "performs random acts of kindness for children facing adversity." The organization started with just three people who dressed up in super hero costumes, and who wanted to make a difference in the lives of children. They have grown to over 80 characters, many of whom are super heroes, and have supported Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish, and have made many hospital visits and attended numerous charity functions. These super heros are professionals, including teachers, a chemist, and a sheriff deputy. We spoke to the president (also known as Bat Man) of Super Heroes for Kids in Ohio and they are honored to be on one of charity of the month partners in 2015.  Erik is already planning his video strategy and planning on how best to connect super heros with our attorneys and staff.  We are looking forward to 2015 with another year of connecting with new charity partners and giving back to our community!

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