Over 30 Cleveland practice volunteers stepped up this year to collect school supplies for kids and clean up a local park.
Every year, our Cleveland practice completes one service project in the community. But this year, the team doubled their efforts and completed two.
The Cleveland volunteers’ work started in July when employees collected and donated school supplies to both Akron Public Schools (via Bath Church UCC’s donation program) and a Cleveland local television station’s “Stuff the Bus” event. Thirty-plus Cleveland practice members contributed over $1,000 worth of supplies — more than 100 notebooks and binders, 2,000 pencils, 1,000 pens, markers, colored pencils, crayons, scissors, and more.
Then, in August, the “Stuff the Bus” charity distributed school supplies to the Cleveland Municipal Public School District students. Bath Church’s share went to Akron Public Schools in the Summit Lake area.
“Thanks to Centric Consulting’s huge donation, we were able to completely fill 60 backpacks for the kids in the Summit Lake area of Akron, an area we have supported for many years,” said Bath Church Backpack Mission Project Coordinator Connie Claes.
“We will have pencils and pens for next year’s mission project, also. Your company’s thoughtfulness is much appreciated, not just by our church, but by all the students and their families who are affected by your gift,” Claes added.
Less than a week later, about 30 people — a dozen Cleveland practice team members and their kids, ranging in age from 3 to 17, met at the Ottawa Point picnic area in the Brecksville Reservation to pick up litter in the park area, along hiking trails, and in the adjacent overnight camping area. Brecksville is one of 18 reservations in the Cleveland Metroparks’ 24,000-acre system.
The crew spent several hours walking the trails and picking up litter that hikers and other park-goers had left behind. Cleveland Metroparks provided buckets, grabbers and trash bags, while Centric provided the people.
Following the pickup, everyone gathered for a picnic and, of course, s’mores.
“It was a beautiful day and perfect weather to be out in one of our amazing Metroparks, helping keep it clean for all visitors,” said Cleveland Operations Manager Emily Dengler-King. “I loved seeing a big group from the Centric Northeast Ohio family get outside with their families to do something good in a beautiful setting.”
Hats off to our Cleveland team for igniting their passion for the greater good in 2023 — not once, but twice!
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