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As we get ready to announce the charity we are going to support in 2013 we wanted to take some time to acknowledge the many charities suggested by our Facebook fans! First we wanted to thank everyone who participated. For those of you who are unaware of our campaign, The Lend a “like” for Local Charities campaign was an effort to find a local charity that not only spoke to our company, but to the community as well. For every “like” we got on our Facebook fan page from December 12th, 2012 to January 21st, 2013 we donated $1 to one of the local charities suggested by our Facebook fans. After 5 weeks, and countless suggestions from over 40 local charities and Facebook users, we compiled all the information provided to make a decision. “Our entire company got involved. Our goal was to choose a local charity that spoke to us as a company, and more importantly a charity we could get involved in. We didn’t want to just hand over a check, we wanted to get involved and make a difference.” Said Ryan Parsons Chief Solutionist for The Brothers that just do Gutters.
The response to our campaign was overwhelming. A number of followers expressed their support for the campaign on our Facebook page. Lea Bishop writes, “Thanks for doing this. There are so many wonderful charities doing absolutely wonderful work in the Hudson Valley. This is truly a special place we live in, and you are special people for doing this!”
“This campaign was a great opportunity for charities we’ve never heard of to showcase their work in the Hudson Valley. In a few short weeks we learned so much about the work these charities do and the passion people have for their charities. We never expected our Facebook fans to share such personal and touching stories, which only made choosing one charity that much harder” said Ryan.
We heard stories of families being rescued from poverty, abused animals placed in loving homes and shelters, and facilities that have helped children with debilitating diseases. One of the most touching personal stories we heard was from Pastor Rosie of NGTF Kidz Initiative. She told us stories of young boys in Newburgh, NY forced to steal food and clothing because they were left to fend for themselves. Their academics were suffering and more importantly so was their health. She writes, “One boy was rushed to the hospital because a cockroach got stuck in his ear while sleeping on the floor.”
It was stories like these that made us realize this is more than just a “charitable giving campaign” It was a chance for us to learn about the things that effect our community on a daily basis. Abuse, poverty, literacy, animal cruelty, hunger and disease are unfortunately present right in our backyard. But, we find comfort in the idea that charitable organizations and dedicated people are out there working hard to fix these issues and we couldn’t be happier to help.
We are grateful for each individual charity and it saddens us that we can only pick one. However, even if your charity is not chosen, please keep us informed of your charities work throughout the year and all the ways we can help!
Please check our Facebook fan page at 3:00pm today (Thursday January 31, 2013), as we will be announcing our charity for 2013!
Here is a list of all the charities that got involved including links to their websites.
NGTF Kids Initiative
Dutchess Outreach
Julies Jungle
Rebuilding Together DC
Dutchess County 4-H
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
Habitat For Humanity
Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue
Surviving Sisters
House of Hope
Abilities First
Animal Rescue Foundation of Beacon
Literacy Connections of the HV
Ryan McElroy Foundation
Sacred Heart School-Newburgh
Middlepath Soccer Club
Pawling Community Resource Center
United Way of Dutchess-Orange region
Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center
CareNet Pregnancy Center
HV Autism Society
Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie
Hospice
Mid Hudson Children’s Museum
Friends of Jaclyn Foundation
Junior League of PK
Food Bank of the Hudson Valley
Saint Francis Special Needs Preschool
The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse
Literacy Orange
Mid Hudson Animal Aid
Semper Fi parents of the Hudson Valley
JDRF Hudson Valley Branch
Mill Street Loft
For the love of a Horse
Christian Heritage Academy
Patterson Food Pantry