AMG Advertising & Public Relations
Cleveland-based AMG leverages its talents in advertising and PR to help further the mission of The Littlest Heroes, of Chesterland, which promotes spiritual, emotional and physical healing of children with cancer and their families through services which complement traditional health care.
Beginning with TLH’s start-up in 2000, AMG assumed responsibility for media relations, allowing Blazine Monaco, TLH’s executive director, to focus on providing services. AMG secured TLH’s URLs and designed its Web site, produced its marketing and public relations plan and landed media coverage for TLH’s Videoconferencing program with The Cleveland Browns, which supplies video visits between hospitalized or homebound children and classmates, family, friends and celebrities.
AMG continues to provide staff and resources for TLH’s media relations. AMG’s principals, Anthony and Annette Fatica, also serve as members of TLH’s board of directors, Anthony as board chairman and Annette as co-secretary.
Baker McMillen Co.
The oldest company in Summit County, Baker McMillen (established in 1874) taps into its employee base to make a commitment to more than 50 community service organizations. Over the years, the wood products company has given an average of approximately 3 percent of its income to philanthropic groups.
Baker McMillen’s greatest focus is on the annual United Way campaign, with employee participation of 82 percent in 2001, 66 percent in 2000 and 72 percent in 1999. Among the United Way activities are car washes, where factory associates can have their cars washed by upper management for a nominal donation, and donations to the United Way for the Loaned Executive Programs that helps facilitate each annual campaign.
The company’s management has also volunteered hundreds of hours over the years by calling on CEOs to rally support around the United Way and the other organizations it supports. Baker McMillen has been the recipient of the United Way Silver and Gold Awards in 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Cambridge Home Health Care
President/owner Nancy Diller-Shively infuses her philosophy of giving back to the community into her entire organization.
Staff members are encouraged to volunteer up to four hours per week on company time to the cause of their choice. And since 1999, Cambridge has donated more than $141,000 to charitable causes, including $10,000 to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund after Sept. 11.
Over the past two years, the firm’s efforts have focused on helping to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. In 2001, it sponsored the building of the 87th Habitat home in Akron, with Diller-Shively and the management team on-site weekly from March through May. Work included digging trenches for pipe, putting up siding and drywall, texturing ceilings and painting. Cambridge volunteered 365 hours to the project.
This year, it co-sponsored the building of Habitat’s 100th Akron house. That team was on site weekly for nine weeks and volunteered more than 230 hours. And Diller-Shively was elected to the board of trustees for Habitat for Humanity of Summit County.
Century Business Services Inc.
CBIZ’s approach to community service is aligned with its business philosophy — to help organizations succeed, and dozens of nonprofit groups have benefited from its commitment.
CBIZ has supported Habitat for Humanity for several years by donating 10 percent of its online merchandise sales. The accounting and consulting services firm has also partnered with the Cleveland Municipal School District and the Ohio Reads program through the HOSTS (Helping One Student To Succeed) program at Cleveland’s Benjamin Franklin middle school to tutor struggling young students.
By donating employees’ time over the past year for one-on-one work with second- and third-grade students, the following results have been achieved:
* Tutored third-grade students improved their reading skills an average of two grade levels, putting all but one at the same reading level as their peers.
* Tutored third-grade students read 253 books, an average of 23 per student.
* Tutored second-grade students improved their reading skills an average of 1.9 grade levels.
* Tutored second-grade students read 659 books, an average of 27 per student.
Edward Howard & Co.
Given that Edward Howard & Co. is in the business of public relations and communications, it makes sense that its community involvement includes providing general counsel, media relations, graphic design, crisis communications advice, brochure, display and other collateral material development and the planning and execution of special events.
In 2002, its staff donated more than 1,700 hours, representing more than a quarter million dollars in services, to more than 50 nonprofit organizations and community groups. Among its efforts, it provided pro bono media relations services to Akron’s Firetruck Fund, which raised $1.4 million for New York City police and fire department safety equipment after Sept. 11.
Edward Howard’s Corporate Contributions Committee oversees the distribution of a significant percentage of company revenue. And it has been designated as a Pacesetter in the local United Way campaign since 1999.
Edward Howard & Co. was ranked fourth of 25 firms in the country named as outstanding public service firms by the public relations industry publication, The Holmes Report.
The James B. Oswald Co.
One of the nation’s largest independent, employee-owned insurance and benefits brokerage firms, The James B. Oswald Co. is involved with area nonprofit organizations through all levels of its management and employee base, as well as through financial donations.
Members of the management team serve as trustees or directors for organizations such as the Cleveland Baseball Federation, Cleveland Foundation, Health Hill Foundation and Vocational Guidance Services. Staff members participate in and collect donations for events including the Alzheimer’s Walk & Celebration of Hope, Applewood Centers “Paint & Plant Day,” March of Dimes Walk and Race for the Cure. It donates more than $100,000 a year to groups including Beechbrook, the Center for Families and Children, Employers Resource Council and the Junior League of Cleveland.
One focus of employee involvement is the Cystic Fibrosis Sports Challenge. This year marked the 19th year of involvement for The James B. Oswald Co. and its third year as lead sponsor. The event raised $40,000.
Jenniffer & Co.
Salon owner Jennifer Pealer strongly believes in giving and has incorporated that philosophy into her business and her employees. Many of Mentor-based Jenniffer & Co.’s good deeds relate to the services offered by Pealer and her team.
Pealer sponsored a cut-a-thon for a staff member paralyzed in an accident. The salon raised $10,000 for her in one day. She also donated door prizes toward a benefit to help pay funeral expenses for a man who died unexpectedly without insurance. And, working in conjunction with Barbizon Modeling School and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Pealer helps give young girls a better self-image.
The salon is also involved with the American Cancer Society. Pealer set aside space in the salon for a private wig room for cancer patients and others who have lost their hair due to illness and treatment.
She is is involved with the Society’s Look Good, Feel Better Program, which provides cosmetology advice and guidance to women undergoing treatment. And the salon donated two chairs and a counter, and had a counter base constructed for a space at the Society’s offices in Mentor.
The Olive Garden
A national restaurant with locations across Northeast Ohio, The Olive Garden is committed to giving back to the communities in which it is located. Two of its programs are Pasta for Pennies, which benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Drive Against Hunger Day, benefitting the Cleveland Foodbank.
Since 1999, The Olive Garden has donated more than $1 million in food and refrigerated trucks to food banks across the country through Drive Against Hunger. In June, it organized an event at the East Cleveland Neighborhood Center and donated 7,500 pounds of food, enough for 11,250 meals, to the Cleveland Foodbank.
The Olive Garden’s Pasta for Pennies campaign has raised more than $15 million nationwide since 1994 for 50 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society chapters. During a three-week period each school year, students bring in spare change to to school, and the class in each school that raises the most money receives a pasta party.
The Olive Garden raised more than $220,000 through Pasta for Pennies for the Northern Ohio Chapter this year. Since 1994, it has raised more than $1 million locally.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeastern Ohio
Since 1989, this partnership of McDonald’s owner/operators has awarded more than $4 million in grants to 200 children’s organizations across the region. RMHC-NEO was founded in 1987 to serve as the charitable donation wing of 44 businesspeople who own 275 McDonald’s restaurants in Northeast Ohio.
In addition to raising funds and awareness, the owners support their communities by holding car washes and bake sales on restaurant properties, providing and distributing coupons for free food items to local clubs to be used as gifts and incentives, and sponsoring participants in community parades and celebrations.
Through Sept. 30, RMHC-NEO has awarded $238,854 in 2002 to 68 nonprofit organizations and programs, including the McDonald’s High School All-American Basketball Game, where it worked with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to bring the game to Cleveland.
It is also involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast Ohio, which received more than $11,000 to develop film taken of wishes granted to children over the next year. The photos will be placed into an engraved photo album and given to the family.
Targeting Customer Safety Inc.
When Targeting Customer Safety office manager Chris Swigert received a call July 25 from a manufacturer TCS represents, explaining that nine miners were trapped in Quecreek Mine near Somerset, Pa., she immediately contacted her husband, Denny, the company’s co-owner.
Denny, whose Bath-based firm sells confined space rescue communications equipment, knew he could help and called Rob Zaremski, TCS’ Pittsburgh-based territory manager. He also called the Howland Fire Department, a TCS customer near Warren that had equipment Swigert believed would be useful. He picked up a probe and met Zaremski, who drove the equipment to the Quecreek Mine.
Working with police and rescue workers, Zaremski lowered the 1.65-inch diameter two-way communication device into a hole drilled by rescue workers. The device allowed rescuers to establish contact with the miners and determine their location.
He then kept in contact with the miners while rescuers made their way to the men and brought them above ground. All nine survived.
The Sherwin-Williams Co.
Sherwin-Williams, a global manufacturer of paints and coatings, is dedicated to economic development and community service. It is involved in the development and implementation of plans that ensure the revitalization and redevelopment of metropolitan Cleveland, including participation in the Commission on Economic Partnerships and Inclusion.
The commission is focused on ensuring the inclusion of minority businesses and individuals in the economic growth of the Greater Cleveland area.
Sherwin-Williams has taken a leadership role in this commission and in its Supplier Diversity and Minority Sourcing Taskforce. It is spearheading efforts to achieve the following goals:
* Increase purchasing from Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) within the companies that comprise membership in the commission
* Encourage commission member organizations to develop and implement supplier diversity policies that increase the use of MBE services and products
* Develop support resources and references to assist commission member organizations in implementing effective supplier diversity policies.
Among Sherwin-Williams’ successes is a Matchmaker Event, which brought together more than 60 area companies that agreed to help reach the commission’s goals.
