There are hundreds of annual “days of service” performed across the states but for the accounting, consulting and advisory firm of Moore Colson giving back has a long withstanding history of showing up and being the best of oneself.
“From the beginning, Greg Colson who was one of our founders was heavily involved in the community,” managing partner Bert Mills said. “I remember specifically he had a group of young men that he mentored out of his church, and since the start the firm was involved in lots of charitable endeavors that permeated not only the firm’s partners but the employees and clients as well.”
Hitting their 40th year of business also reflected a journal of 40 years of community service.
“Marking this anniversary, rather than throwing a big party and inviting everybody, we decided we’d rather spend the money on giving back to the community because that is part of our service mentality,” he said.
The theme “Thinking Forward, Giving Back” was chosen to honor the city’s community in recognizing 40 nonprofits, four service days for four organizations and $40,000 in charitable contributions ($10,000 to each nonprofit).
Across the firm’s social media channels throughout the year, their “40 for 40″ series will highlight 40 local organizations that the partners have been involved with. “We like to spotlight people who do really good things,” said the managing partner.
Moore Colson’s first service day took place at Solomon’s Temple, where MC partner Chris Fagan is a board member.
Solomon’s Temple provides transitional housing for those experiencing homelessness up to six months serving mainly women and family units with children and teenage boys.
“Our thesis is that homelessness is a funnel that a lot of people get stuck in and don’t have the opportunity to work themselves out of. So when we give them that extra runway to take advantage of the programs, the job placement and build up savings, we are hoping that they work themselves out of that funnel ... ,” Fagan said.
It took over 100 hours of planning and coordinating going into the event. About 65 people between partners, employees and clients spent a Saturday transforming the outdoor area that covered overgrown areas and the amenities that included a basketball court, picnic area, firepit area and playground.
“It was a great day and I think that everyone who attended that day left way more full than when they came,” he said.
Joint venturing with one of the firm’s clients, the second service day was a paint day with the Cobb Interfaith Habitat. “Along with helping out, I learned that it’s more than actually providing shelter for somebody. It’s providing them the means to be able to handle taking over that property,” said Mills.
“Solomon’s day and habitat, every time we do something like that the folks that do it, our team members at Moore Colson, they walk away feeling really good about what we’ve done, about the organization and like Chris said, ‘There’s a tail to that because others continue to stay involved’ ,” he said. “We are grateful we can do it.”
The third service day will take place at Eagle Ranch on Oct. 29 with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to follow sometime in November.
Visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/moore-colson/
Each Sunday we write about a deserving person or charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To submit a story for us to cover, send to ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
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