RS&H Elevate Fund Touches 12 Charities

Each year, RS&H dedicates a portion of the firm’s corporate revenues to provide grants to nonprofit organizations in communities we serve. This week, the firm made its second donation from its Elevate Fund — $53,300 across 12 nonprofit groups.

The RS&H Elevate Fund supports associates in aiding the communities they work and live in by encouraging and funding volunteer and charitable activities that align with the company’s values. RS&H aims to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that focus on helping people in need, supporting children and youth programs, and enhancing education.

“With the Elevate Fund we are able to allow our associates nationally to apply for grants for nonprofits near and dear to their hearts,” said Elevate Committee Chair Stephanie Trefry. “Our giving this round allows for 12 worthwhile charities to expand their reach and continue to make significant impact in our communities.”

These Elevate Fund recipients are:

• Atlanta Community Food Bank. Atlanta: Atlanta Community Food Bank works with more than 600 nonprofit partners—including food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers—to distribute over 60 million meals to more than 755,000 people in 29 counties across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Elevate funds will go to general operating support.
• Beaches Habitat for Humanity, Atlantic Beach: Beaches Habitat partners with families and individuals in the Jacksonville Beaches community to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Not only is RS&H helping fund a Habitat build, but 25 RS&H associates will volunteer to help build a house.
• Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists (CABPES): CABPES encourages and assists African-American and other under-represented minority youth in the pursuit and attainment of career choices in engineering, science and technology professions. Elevate funds will go toward the Junior Engineers and Tomorrow’s Scientist (JETS) program, which will help more than 300 students.
• Construction Trade School (CTS), Carrollton, Texas: CTS offers a training facility for beginners or intermediates in residential construction management and trades who want to start a career or business in construction or grow their current construction business. Elevate funding will be used for materials, recruiting and educational seminars.
• Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, Jacksonville: Elevate funding will go toward the Girl Scouts’ STEM Summer Camp, which will demonstrate how kids can use STEM to build a better world. About 75 girls will attend the camp.
• The Independent Living Resource Center, Jacksonville: For the past three years RS&H associates have constructed Halloween costumes for ILRC children. These costumes are integrated into the children’s wheelchairs and allows them to fully enjoy the Halloween season. Elevate funds will cover the costs of materials and new wheelchairs, as RS&H aims to create even more costumes this year.
• K9s for Warriors, Ponte Vedra Beach: K9s for Warriors is the nation’s largest provider of service dogs for disabled American veterans. The group is dedicated to providing service canines to soldiers suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and military sexual trauma as a result of military service. The funds will support a space for returning warriors, a training kennel, and dog depot for performing dog intake and evaluation.
• Reach Unlimited, Cypress, Texas: The Reach Unlimited project significantly improves the lives of people living with learning and development disabilities, teaching them how to contribute to society in ways they never thought possible. This helps break down the negative stereotypes and stigmas related to learning disabilities. Funds will go to the home and bathroom renovations.
• Sophie’s Circle, New Smyrna Beach: As Volusia County’s only pet food pantry, Sophie’s Circle is dedicated to providing pet food to financially-challenged families, in an ongoing effort to keep pets in their homes where they belong, along with educating the public on the importance of spay and neutering. The Elevate Fund will help Sophie’s Circle support even more families and their pets.
• Theatre Jacksonville: Theatre Jacksonville is a volunteer-based community theatre whose mission is to enrich lives and broaden cultural understanding through community participation in theatre arts. The proposal will provide funding support for 10 children in one of the two summer camp sessions.
• The UNF Foundation at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville: Funds will help expand the foundation’s Introduce a Girl to Engineering program. Registration for the 2018 program was capped at 60 participants. With the extra funding, 100 students will be able to participate this year.
• World Relief DuPage/Aurora, Carol Stream, Illinois: World Relief partners with local churches and works with hundreds of individuals as well as community groups to offer a comprehensive range of services to refugees and immigrants living in DuPage and Kane Counties in Illinois. Elevate funds will support World Relief’s youth enrichment clubs, which are designed to both improve academic performance and provide social and emotional support for refugee and immigrant students.

The give is the second of RS&H’s fiscal year. In total, the RS&H Elevate Fund donated more than $100,000 to over 20 nonprofit organizations. The organizations and donations are decided on by a group of RS&H associates on the Elevate Committee.

“The generosity our associates show is a big part of RS&H’s character and culture,” said RS&H CEO Dave Sweeney. “By contributing our time, talents, and dollars to these charity groups, we’re able to support activities that improve the quality of life in our communities.”