Over $19,000 Raised in 2018 as Associates Pay-It-Forward on Behalf of Clients
Pictured above: Amy Lewandowski of Gabriel Group, Hannah Levin, VISTA Staff Member, and Jessica Murphy, Free Store Manager of KidSmart, and Dave Hawkins and Erin Koury of Gabriel Group
Gabriel Group is exceptionally proud to announce that its 2018 annual Pay-It-Forward efforts generated a record-shattering $19,041 contribution to its partner organization of the year, KidSmart. Wrapping up the company’s eleventh consecutive year of its charitable giving initiative in honor of its clients, 2018’s total donation beat the previous year’s by over $3,000.
KidSmart’s mission is to empower children in need to succeed in school by equipping every child in Missouri with essential tools for learning. Through their work, KidSmart is able to provide kids with 10,000 school supplies every single week throughout the school year and distribute $55 million worth of learning tools on an annual basis. Gabriel Group was honored to champion its cause throughout the calendar year by hosting internal fundraising events for its associates. Examples included the always popular “bring your dog to work weeks,” competitive yard game tournaments and potlucks.
In addition to collecting funds throughout the year, associates also took advantage of numerous volunteer opportunities. While KidSmart was in a state of transition while they moved warehouse locations, Gabriel Group volunteers donated their time to sort inventory over multiple days throughout the year. Associates also volunteered to set up for KidSmart’s annual “Back to School with Joe Buck Celebrity Event” in the summer, and even got the chance to deliver supplies to schools in the St. Louis area. 2018 was the best year on record for Gabriel Group in regards to company-paid volunteer hours – a big point of pride for everyone in the company.
Gabriel Group is looking forward to continuing to make an impact within the St. Louis community as it moves into 2019 and beyond. If 2018 was any indication, the future is most definitely bright when it comes to the company’s giving potential! Gabriel Group’s next Pay-It-Forward organization will be revealed shortly … make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming announcement!
