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FebruaryPer Stirling Volunteers: Making a Difference in 2022, and Carrying on Traditions for Helping in 2023!
It is hard to believe that we are already well into the first quarter of 2023, and before too much time passes, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the importance of giving back to our community and the impact we made throughout the last year. Suggestions from the whole Per Stirling family – clients, employees and advisors – made up our 2022 Community Initiatives Agenda. We would like to continue this tradition of brainstorming worthy causes in 2023 and beyond.
So let us know the areas of the community where you would like to see us concentrate our efforts, and let’s work together to make a difference in 2023! We promise to update you with details of how to participate throughout the year!
But first, a look-back at Per Stirling Volunteering in 2022
February 2022 – Ann Richards School Foundation
In February, Per Stirling Employees and Advisors raised nearly $400 to provide young women the confidence and skills to apply, attend and graduate from college.
March 2022 – Amplify Austin & Ukraine Relief
During the month of March, Per Stirling’s staff and advisors made an impact on Amplify Austin Day 2022, with nearly $3,000 raised for organizations such as RBI Austin, the Central Texas Food Bank, Austin Pets Alive, Ronald McDonald House, Hutto Resource Center, Foundation Communities, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Out Youth and The Caring Place. Thank you Amplify Austin for matching each of our donations, to maximize the impact.
While our efforts were mainly focused on serving the local community, we also felt an urgent need to look abroad to assist in the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Per Stirling found verified organizations that were providing humanitarian aid that provided basic human resources to those in great need. We were able to collectively raise $800 for relief in Ukraine.
April 2022 – Big Brothers Big Sisters BBBS
In April, Per Stirling participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Central Texas’ 2022 Bowl for Kids event, which raised funds to provide life-changing mentoring relationships for local children to “change lives for the better, forever”. We were excited to be among 67 bowling teams, and our final fundraising amount was just shy of $2,000! Our Per Stirling Team won the costume contest for the beach-theme. A funny picture is on display at the Per Stirling North Office if you want a laugh.
May 2022 – Austin Pets Alive!
During May, Per Stirling staff and advisors focused on one of our favorite organizations, Austin Pets Alive! This year marked the return of Austin Pets Alive’s in-person fundraiser for their Parvo Puppy program, “Paddle for Puppies”. This event is an annual fundraiser which takes place on Lady Bird Lake. Each year, participants “Paddle for the Puppies” either by Stand-up Paddle Board, canoe or kayak.
In 2021, APA’s Parvo ICU treated and saved 963 puppies! This year, in the first quarter alone, 300 puppies were treated. A few Per Stirling team members attended this fun event and helped the cause. Per Stirling staff and advisors also raised over $700 for Austin Pets Alive in May alone.
June 2022 – BookSpring
In June of 2022, Per Stirling selected BookSpring as the community initiative and donated eight large bags of books to BookSpring. Several Per Stirling employees volunteered to sort books at the BookSpring location. This helps ensure that all donated books are in good quality and topic appropriate for children, prior to being donated to schools. The books that did not make the cut were driven to Goodwill and donated for others to enjoy!
July 2022 – Back to School
For July, Per Stirling focused on donating funds and school supplies to students and classrooms. Every year school teachers are left to cover the cost of many of the supplies necessary to provide education for our children. This has become even more challenging due to the recent, massive spike in inflation.
Foundation Communities is an organization that helps relieve the burden on teachers by providing students direct access to supplies, technology and meals for the entire school year. Additional proceeds go towards supporting students with free, on-site after school programs. We helped Foundation Communities exceed their original 2022 fundraising goal of $70,000 by $20,000!
Per Stirling advisors and team members contributed to both the Foundation Communities Back to School Drive and to individual teachers’ classrooms for school supplies.
August 2022 – Patriot PAWS
Patriot PAWS was a new volunteer initiative for us this year. The mission of Patriot PAWS is to train and provide service dogs of the highest quality, at no cost to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities, in order to help restore their physical and emotional independence.
This non-profit is based in Rockwall, Texas, which is approximately 30 minutes northeast of Dallas. While the distance between Rockwall and the Austin Per Stirling offices may have prevented us from in-person volunteering, our advisors and team members made monetary donations to help raise and train puppies to serve our disabled veterans in need.
September 2022 – Suicide Prevention Awareness
With September being Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we felt it was the right time to bring attention to this important issue, and to encourage positive dialogue, awareness and professional treatment as a means of preventing this terrible outcome.
Some of the organizations that Per Stirling focused on were: Suicide Prevention, Mental Illness Alliance, Mental Health America, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Through these organizations, Per Stirling staff and advisors made monetary donations to aid in improving the lives of those affected by mental illness.
October 2022 – Breast Cancer Awareness & The Hunter 5K
For the month of October, Per Stirling selected two volunteer initiatives, both very important to us. The first was Breast Cancer Awareness. This is a cause that we sponsor on a regular basis, as several members of the Per Stirling family have personally battled this type of cancer. Hitting so “close to home”, our Per Stirling team is very passionate about finding a cure for this insidious disease. We are not only very proud to have raised over $1,000 in 2022, but one of our team members added The American Cancer Society as a beneficiary in their will.
Our second volunteer initiative was The Hunter 5K. This is an event that was created to celebrate the life of Hunter Lane Henderson. The Henderson’s are close friends of one of the firm’s partners and his family, which makes this a very special cause for us, especially since this was the fourth and final year of this event.
All proceeds from The Hunter 5K goes to the Dell Children’s Medical Center, as they were so instrumental in helping the Henderson family to navigate through an extraordinarily difficult time. In December of 2018, Hunter Lane Henderson tragically passed away after he was critically injured at home while playing with his sister. The care and attention given by doctors, nurses and staff at Dell Children’s made a traumatic time a little less painful for the Henderson family. The Hunter 5K was created to honor and celebrate his fast and free spirit. Hunter loved Halloween and dressed up in costume year-round, so it is only fitting that the Hunter 5K be held on Halloween weekend!
This year’s event had nearly 650 runners! The Henderson Family went “all in” with a foam party to mark the end of this meaningful tradition! Per Stirling was honored to be one of many sponsors this year, and employees and advisors made monetary donations which helped raise over $30,000 in this final fundraising year!
November 2022 – Central Texas Food Bank
November’s Community Initiative was spent giving to those in need of food during the holiday season, through the Central Texas Food Bank. Due to inflation’s impact on the cost of living, the Central Texas Food Bank saw a dramatic increase in demand, with the number of people being served increasing every month. This organization has seen a lot of families asking for help for the first time in their lives.
Per Stirling had the privilege of competing in a Corporate Challenge against other Austin area companies to raise awareness of this growing need, and to feed as many families as possible. Per Stirling’s staff, advisors, and families raised enough funds to provide 7,100 meals for our fellow Central Texans! During Per Stirling’s company potluck, staff and advisors all brought canned foods and non-perishables to help support our local food bank as well.
December 2022 – Partnerships for Children
In December, we focused on giving to those less fortunate. Although we did not have specific children to purchase gifts for, we were still able to make a difference! Children are constantly coming into the foster system during December. Through Partnerships for Children, we purchased gifts from an Amazon Wish list that allowed those children to have a special Christmas as well.
Because of funds donated by Per Stirling team members and advisors, we were able to bring joy to a handful of children for the 2022 Holidays! Some donated gifts included: books, dolls, stuffed animals, barbies, two-way radios and legos. In addition to Partnerships for Children, monetary donations were also made to Carrying Hope and The Angel Tree.
We would love to receive any feedback on our 2022 initiatives, or thoughts and suggestions for this upcoming year’s causes. Your input is valuable to us and can make a difference for those who could use some help. Let’s come together in a big way in 2023 and show our community how much we care!
