It’s truly amazing what can be accomplished when people come together for a good cause. On Wednesday, January 18, American RENOLIT donated $3,000 to Family Advocates, a county-wide advocacy and intervention agency that aids at-risk children and families through many different programs. American RENOLIT'S donation serves as a reminder that, when many come together, a small act of kindness can have a powerful, positive impact.
Each year around the holidays, American RENOLIT holds a workplace raffle, and half of the money raised is donated to a charity organization that the employees choose. The company then matches the amount raised by its employees, doubling the donation. This year, the employees chose to donate the money to Family Advocates to give back to the foster children in need.
American RENOLIT President Nils Dietz spoke about how important it is to the company and its employees to donate to such a wonderful organization.
“It means so much to us and to the workforce to donate. We are pretty fortunate – we are a successful business and we’re growing – but there are a lot of people in our community who are less fortunate. We want to do our part and support them, especially the foster children,” said Dietz.
Jackie Dermody, director of Family Advocates, was amazed to receive the thoughtful donation. She couldn’t thank the American RENOLIT employees enough for their charity, especially since they donated during the holiday season when a lot of people are trying to provide for their own families.
“We’re very grateful to American RENOLIT and its employees for choosing our nonprofit agency this year. This is such a great opportunity because, like all nonprofits, we’re constantly in fundraising mode. This was completely unexpected and is just such a great infusion of dollars for us,” said Dermody.
The donation is already going to good use. Family Advocates is going to place the money in its scholarship fund so foster kids can use it for different programs they normally wouldn’t be able to afford such as athletic camps or YMCA passes. The money will also go towards toiletry kits for kids who don’t have access to basic items like shampoo and toothbrushes.
It’s ultimately incredible how something as simple as a company’s holiday raffle can make such a huge difference in the lives of others. Human Resources Director for American RENOLIT Melissa Gruber was proud of what her fellow employees accomplished.
“I’m just really proud of our employees because, whenever we have something like this going on, they really step up. They’re all about doing things for the community, and they’re always looking for ways to do something good. I really appreciate how generous everyone was with the money they contributed,” said Gruber.
So much generosity has already been shared, but American RENOLIT's donation is only the beginning of a positive partnership. Dietz and Gruber both spoke eagerly about the future and what American RENOLIT can do alongside Family Advocates to keep giving back to the community.
“We want to continue to partner with Family Advocates. This definitely isn’t just a one-time thing. We want to continue to work with them and see if we can get some volunteers to start working on their program. We always encourage our employees to volunteer in the community for whatever their passion is, and for a lot of our employees, their passion is the kids in the community. This is just a really great partnership for us,” said Gruber.
Family Advocates is already making a huge difference in the community with its court-appointed special advocates (CASA) and community youth advocate programs, and there’s no telling how much more can be done with the support of American RENOLIT. Whatever happens, it’s sure to be incredible.
To learn more about American RENOLIT and its commitment to charity, visit renolit.com/laporte.To learn more about Family Advocates and its mission to help children and families in need, visit lpfamilyadvocates.com.
