We may not always take ourselves seriously, but at MJ we definitely take our community service seriously. In an effort to truly live our purpose of inspiring the success, fulfillment and wellbeing of each person we serve – including our community – we select a Charity of Choice every two years. We find this helps our team feel connected to a particular cause and increases our impact more than scattered monetary donations here and there. It also gives us something to rally around and focus on for two straight years, witnessing firsthand the changes our partner organizations influence with our help.
We’re thrilled to announce our two newest Charities of Choice:
- Our Indianapolis office will be partnering with the Humane Society for Hamilton County (HSHC), which is Indiana’s only open admission, no-kill animal shelter. Once we saw their slogan, “Love. And Let Live,” we knew we’d found some kindred spirits with whom to share our time and talents. Our hope is that we’ll provide families throughout our area with the opportunity to find their own forever friend and reap the proven benefits of pet ownership, such as physical, mental and emotional improvements, from enhancing social skills to decreasing a person’s risk of heart attack.
- In Phoenix, MJ associates will be working with the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). This non-profit organization has spent the last 20 years supporting important research and providing valuable services across a life-time through their clinical programs and school and employment services. SARRC also run the innovative Beneficial Beans, which provides employment opportunities for autistic individuals in various settings, including a café, garden and online store, as well as internships and production of items to be sold in local retail locations. Ultimately, SARRC proves that there’s an important role for everyone in society.
In support of both organizations, MJ looks forward to special projects, fundraising and building greater community awareness through our own website and communication. We’ll be hosting a “basket raffle” each fall with individual teams creating themed baskets for bidding. In the past, our basket raffles have raised over $6,000 for our Charities of Choice. We then follow this with a Holiday Mart where craft and gift items are sold and participate in the Super Service Challenge. Volunteer service opportunities further bolster our efforts, and we’re investigating hands-on activities such as cleaning classrooms, painting, prepping bags for annual fundraisers or helping with the Autism Speaks Walk for SARRC. At HSHC, we’re considering a pet food/supply donation drive, kennel cleaning, walking the animals or other special events.
To support all these efforts (as well as the efforts we continue to provide for other community charities beyond these two), MJ associates always receive two days of Volunteer Service Time to use instead of requiring them to use their own personal time off. It’s one of the best ways we can help everyone “walk the walk” and feel engaged with not only these charities, but also the community and their co-workers.
Of course, this announcement of our new Charities of Choice is just the start of great partnerships in both Indianapolis and Phoenix. Keep an eye out for more updates and ways to get involved in the future!
