Giving Thanks Is a Yearlong Vocation

On Thanksgiving, we look forward to wonderful meals and exchanging gifts with our friends and family, but not everyone is as fortunate.

In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives it can be hard to find time to give back. That’s why Thanksgiving and rest of the holiday season is so great. It allows us to reflect on how lucky we are, and serves as a reminder to give back to those in our communities who could use a helping hand.

At Morgan & Morgan, we try and give back year round. We have 50 offices in 14 states, which means our firm calls many cities home. We feel that every local office should be a positive force in their communities and that our employees give back in any way they can.

From Casual Fridays for a Cause, which allows employees to dress casually on Fridays if they give a donation to the organization or cause of the month, to running in charity 5Ks, and donating much needed supplies to hurricane victims, our employees are constantly donating their time and resources to good causes. Here is just some of the charity work our local offices did in 2018.

Thanksgiving Food Drive

• Our Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Lakeland offices collected non-perishable food items to benefit Metropolitan Ministries. The organization feeds thousands of people during the holiday season. This year, these three offices collected about 2,800 pounds of food and 151 frozen turkeys.
• Our Orlando office collected non-perishable food items for the annual Morgan & Morgan Season of Giving Food Drive, and in Jackson, Mississippi, our office collected boxes of stuffing mix to donate to IONA House Food Pantry, a local non-profit organization that assists those in need.
• Our Fort Myers office bought and donated $1,335 in turkeys (1,290 lbs) and $10,945 in cash to the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

Casual Fridays for a Cause

Casual Fridays for a Cause has been a great way for our local offices to donate to local charities each month. If employees want to dress down on Friday, they have to donate to the charity for that month.

For example, in August our Orlando office raised $2,100 for Ali’s Hope Foundation, an organization that assists young adults newly diagnosed with mental illnesses. The same month our Jacksonville office raised $2,154 for the Jacksonville Humane Society, and Fort Myers raised $320 for A Mom’s Helping Hand of SWFL.

Some other charities our local offices have raised money for:

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mississippi
• Give Kids The World Village
• Sunshine State Angel Gowns Inc.
• Sulzbacher
• Louis E. Torres Scholarship Fund
• The American Cancer Society
• CURE Childhood Cancer
• Wounded Warriors of Mississippi
• The Exchange Club Family Center of Memphis
• Guardian Ad Litem
• Second Harvest Food Bank Morgan & Morgan Hunger Relief Center
• Coastal Pet Rescue
• The Ellis Center
• Feeding the Valley
• Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area — Back to school uniform & backpack drive
• Out Memphis
• Memphis Bar Association's Access to Justice program
• Gliding Stars

Relay for Life Dinner

In September Paducah attorney Matthew Schultz represented Morgan & Morgan as a celebrity waiter at the Relay for Life dinner to benefit the American Cancer Society. We helped raise over $30,000! This is a photo of Mr. Schultz at the dinner.

New Basketball Hoops for Spann Elementary School

A while back, Jackson attorney Chris Neyland drove by Spann Elementary in Jackson and noticed that all four basketball hoops were either damaged or missing. He had the idea of the firm replacing all of them. On Oct. 1 members of the Jackson office presented the new goals to the school. Check out the difference!

10th Annual Friends Helping Friends 5K Fun Run/Walk and Health Expo

In September Morgan & Morgan sponsored the 10th annual Friends Helping Friends 5K Fun Run/Walk and Health Expo in Lake Mary, Florida. All proceeds benefited SafeHouse, which supports women and children who are victims of domestic abuse.

Bike4Chai

Team Morgan & Morgan participated in Bike4Chai, a two-day, 180-mile bike ride that covered three states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Altogether, our team raised $135,676 for Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special. We were proud to support our representatives’ efforts by donating more than $10,000 and hosting the first rest stop, allowing bikers a much-needed opportunity to refuel.

For The People Scholarship

As a law firm that always represents “the little guy,” we want to inspire young people to become lawyers to benefit the people, not the powerful. That’s why for the the third year running, we’re awarding a scholarship an individual who is accepted or currently enrolled in law school and is driven to fight for those who need it most. If you think that refers to you or someone you know, submit your application here.

McKenzie’s Run

Our North Florida and South Georgia offices had 91 participants in McKenzie’s Run, a 5K to benefit The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation. The organization raises money to empower young people to discover their full potential in an increasingly complex and challenging world.

Walk for Wishes for Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida

In May our Jacksonville office participated in the Walk for Wishes for Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida. Over $102,000 was raised to grant wishes for children with critical illnesses. We were a proud sponsor of the event.

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and offices throughout the firm raised money for Susan G. Komen. Some staff in our Memphis office participated in the local Race for the Cure 5K and our Brooklyn office held a nail-biter cornhole tournament to raise money.

Hurricane Michael Relief

Hurricane Michael was among the most powerful hurricanes ever to make landfall in Florida. It caused widespread destruction in parts of the Florida Panhandle, as well as Georgia. As the two states where most of our firm’s offices are located, we were compelled to help those who had been affected by the storm.

Our offices throughout Florida and Georgia gathered supplies for victims of Hurricane Michael. One of our attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, State Senator Gary Farmer, drove a U-haul truck full of supplies to Tallahassee and Panama City.

How Can You Give Back During The Holiday Season?

If reading about all of our charity work in 2018 has put you in the mood to volunteer your time for a good cause, check out VolunteerMatch, a directory that helps you find volunteer opportunities in your area. It’s not the only source, though. You can also find ways to volunteer by referring to local organizations in your area.

Thank you for putting your trust and faith in Morgan & Morgan. We’re honored to be everywhere for everyone, helping to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people a year.