One of Willow Legal Group’s core values is being part of our community. We are committed to being active participants in our community organizations and to giving back to the communities we serve. This week we are sharing about some of our favorite local organizations and the impact they have on our community. We invite you to join us for a Pajama Party Happy Hour supporting Comfort Cases this Friday, December 9th from 4pm-6pm. Find more information on the event and how you can help support Comfort Cases here.
Lindsay’s favorite local organizations include Comfort Cases, HEROES, Inc. and the Olney Cropdusters Baseball team. Read on for more information about each organization.
Comfort Cases
Comfort Cases is one of my favorite local organizations because part of its mission is to give kids in the foster care system a sense of dignity. Comfort Cases is a nonprofit that was founded by Rob and Reece Sheer, residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. Forty years ago, Rob lost both parents and entered the foster care system, carrying all his belongings in a tattered trash bag. When 4 children, who are now his children, showed up at his house carrying the same trash bags eight years ago, he decided to create a more dignified way for children to transport their belongings. Typically, children are given a trash bag to pack up their belongings when they are removed from their homes. Comfort Cases are backpacks filled with comfort and personal care items for youth entering the foster care system. Comfort Cases is working to end this practice while providing the essentials for a child’s first few days in foster care. Since 2013, Comfort Cases has impacted over 150,000 children in the foster care system across the country. Each Comfort Case includes pajamas, toiletry items, a blanket, a book, and a stuffed animal. To learn more about Comfort Cases, and how you can help visit their website.
HEROES, Inc.
I learned about HEROES, Inc. when I started dating my husband in 2014 who is a police officer. He is actively involved with the organization’s annual charity golf event, and invited me to volunteer with him. Once I learned of its mission, I was eager to support it however I could. HEROES, Inc. supports the spouses and children of law enforcement officers and firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty to the greater Washington, D.C. community. Its goal is to honor the supreme sacrifice made by these individuals by caring for their families. This support begins within 24 hours of the tragic loss and continues indefinitely. HEROES, Inc. was founded in 1964 by Leonard B. “Bud” Doggett after attending the funeral of a fallen officer. As a hat was passed around to collect money for the officer’s widow, he was saddened to learn that many families had no financial recourse when their loved ones died in the line of duty. Today, HEROES, Inc. has helped more than 200 local families of fallen First Responders by providing financial assistance for legal, funeral and other immediate expenses to help these grieving families overcome their new financial hardships. HEROES also provides referrals for lawyers and financial advisors to help spouses and dependents navigate their new financial reality. Additionally, HEROES provides a small cash gift to dependents under age 21 twice a year and on their birthday. Finally, HEROES has a scholarship fund for children of fallen first responders that allows them to attend the college of their choice. To learn more about HEROES, Inc. and how you can support their mission, visit their website.
Cropdusters
The Olney Cropdusters are a new team in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer Baseball League. Founder and President, Tony Korson, is a native Washingtonian and has built the team from the ground up, with the help of a talented and local volunteer Board and Executive team in Olney. All those working with Cropdusters Baseball share passion for the community and baseball, and are each making a concentrated effort to infuse the Olney community into the team’s brand and “vibe.”The team will host roughly 35 college athletes from all over the nation from June 1st-August 1st each summer, with the help of local host families. The team’s goal is to offer a summer baseball experience to delight and entertain the community with more than just baseball at the developing home stadium at the Olney Boys & Girls Club. 2021 was the Cropdusters’ inaugural season, and they ranked highest in the league in attendance. Our family hosted a player from Purdue, and we had an absolute blast getting to know him and attending the home games with our young daughters. My husband and I love baseball, and we are excited to offer our girls the experience of growing up around a baseball field like we did. We enjoyed the experience and what the organization is providing for the local community so much that we are hosting two players in 2023 and I have joined the Board. To learn more about the team or becoming a host family, visit their website or email me at [email protected].
Two of Megan’s favorite local organizations are Empowering the Ages and Tailed Treasures of MD. Read on for more information about each organization.
Empowering the Ages
Empowering the Ages (ETA) is an organization that transforms lives through facilitating and nurturing relationships across generations. My father retired when I started elementary school and I believe that keeping up with me and my sister was a huge benefit to him in the long run and he helped provide me with a different perspective based on his experiences of growing up during the Depression. ETA connects older adults and youth to share and learn from each other through two main programs, Crossing Paths and Connections. The Crossing Paths program brings together older adults and teens to have discussions on a variety of topics. The adult volunteers are able to share their life experiences and make connections with the youth while the teens are able to learn about the perspectives of older generations and share their own experiences while improving their communication skills. I think these conversations are so important in today’s political climate. They help everyone see current events from a new perspective and hopefully increase understanding across generations. The Connections program focuses on school readiness for pre-K students and their families. Studies have shown that family engagement with school has a positive impact on a child’s academic achievement. Volunteers with the Connections program build relationships with pre-K students and their families through educational activities to promote school readiness and working with families to help empower them to be engaged in their child’s education. As a parent of an elementary school student I know first hand how difficult it can be to navigate school and provide support for your child. The initial education and empowerment that ETA volunteers provide families who are new to the school system in the United States is invaluable as these students start their education. You can learn more about ETA at their website.
Tailed Treasures of MD
You have likely seen the lost pet posters that Tailed Treasures helps families produce and post around Montgomery County. I first met Jill Barsky, also known as the Pet Friendly Realtor, when she was the property manager of our first home. During that time we helped foster a number of dogs and even adopted our first two dogs through Tailed Treasures. For more than 16 years, Tailed Treasures has provided crisis support and rescue services to families across the United States. Over the years Tailed Treasures has answered the call to help thousands of pets whether it’s been to find them a new home because their current owner could no longer care for them or raise funds for life saving surgeries. Recently, Tailed Treasures has focused its services on reuniting families and their pets by helping them with signage and tracking services. Tailed Treasures has a team of experienced volunteers who can track lost animals and will help bring your furry family members home no matter how long it takes. My family has helped Jill set up trail cameras in areas where a lost pet has been sighted as well as scouted areas where people have reported stray pet sightings. Tailed Treasures not only helps find lost cats and dogs, Jill has helped locate pet birds, including two peacocks. The Willow Legal Group family includes 4 dogs and we would be devastated if any of our furry family members went missing. Jill and Tailed Treasures knows how important animals are to our families and she does everything in her power to help reunite lost pets with their families. You can learn more about Jill and Tailed Treasures here.
If you’d like to learn more about any of these charities or discuss how your estate plan can help your favorite charity contact us for a complementary 15 minute call. We hope to see you on Friday night for our Pajama Party benefiting Comfort Cases!