Gifting Thanks During the Holidays
We are humbled throughout the year to get involved with and give back to our community. The hardships many have faced this year make it even more important to donate our time and gifts to the deserving families in our neighborhood.
This holiday season, we were fortunate to connect with two special organizations that are hopeful for a little more attention this time of year.
The Laurel House
The Laurel House provides support to more than 1,700 victims of domestic violence. Regardless of a family’s location or the services they require, the Laurel House delivers some of their most basic needs. This can include household supplies, groceries and children’s necessities. Our team at UME donated boxes of items that were then distributed to families throughout the city. Because of COVID, drop-offs occurred through appointments so that each recipient would know when their packages were delivered.
Thanksgiving Meals in Key West
Other groups we partner with over the holidays are farther south, including the Stars of the Sea (SOS) Foundation and Florida Key Outreach. Key West, FL is our home away from home, and we make it a Thanksgiving tradition to donate meals and gift cards to these deserving organizations.
Last month, we were also grateful to be chosen as an Inspiring Excellence Honoree by The Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia. During their special, virtual event, we were voted by attendees as the Fan Favorite after sharing an inspiring story of our commitment to community. Because of this, UME was awarded $2,500 to award to a non-profit of our choosing. The UME team decided to split the $2,500 evenly between two of our favorite Philly charities: St. Mark’s Soup Kitchen, an important outreach during the time of COVID-19, and Philly AIDS Walk, whose mission is to be a lifeline for the most vulnerable people living with HIV.
We look forward to continuing our journey as we partner with those in our community and do what we can to make a difference.