GIVING BACK
Cook & James delivers winter gear to Atlanta mission
Real estate attorney firm Cook & James collected and delivered dozens of coats, sweaters and blankets to the Atlanta Day Shelter at the Atlanta Mission during some of the coldest days this winter.
But it wasn’t just a local drive. Cook & James remote employees also did their own drives, and collected and delivered coats in cities in which they live, including Pittsburgh, Denver and Huntsville/Decatur, Alabama.
The initiative was borne from the firm’s collection of charitable ideas in its “Acts of Kindness Jar.” Each month, the firm draws one submitted idea to fulfill.
The company explained this jar is its way of proving that, in our divided world, you don’t always have to agree, but you can always show kindness.
“Our ‘Acts of Kindness Jar’ is one small way we can affect change,” said Heather James, Cook & James co-founding attorney. “You don’t have to agree with someone to show kindness and especially today, I see so much unkindness in our world and our differences are driving us apart. I believe we can reverse that tide, learn from and even celebrate each other’s differences…if we just practice kindness.”
Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union delivers 2,100 teddy bears to needy children
The Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union delivered 2,100 stuffed bears to cheer up children in need through its Teddy Bears on Patrol holiday program.
For more than 20 years, County Federal has teamed up with local law enforcement, schools and nonprofits to bring joy to children suffering from illness or trauma.
“The holiday season is a time of caring and sharing. Giving needy children their own teddy bear to love and comfort is our way of showing we care about our kids,” said Rebecca Reynolds Lytle, County Federal president and CEO. “This has been a highly successful program over the years and our law enforcement and medical professional partners get just as much joy out of this tradition as we do. There’s nothing that brings more joy and comfort to a child in need than a teddy bear.”
AWARDS
Fifth Third Bank included in 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index
Fifth Third Bank is one of 230 companies included in the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which highlights companies notable for transparency in gender reporting and that display a commitment to advancing women’s equality.
The index, which doubled in size from 2018, includes firms from 10 sectors that have a combined market capitalization of $9 trillion and employ more than 15 million people, of which 7 million are women.
Initiatives that focus on gender equality elevate both society and business, said Jule Kucera, Fifth Third chief diversity and corporate social responsibility officer.
“We are intentional about creating an inclusive environment where men and women have equitable opportunity to belong, to contribute and to advance,” Kucera said.
Bloomberg offers public companies the opportunity to disclose information on how they promote gender equality in four main areas – company statistics, policies, community engagement and products and services. Companies that score above a globally established threshold are included in the GEI.
“We applaud Fifth Third and the other 229 firms tracked by the index for their actions to measure gender equality through the Bloomberg GEI framework,” Bloomberg Chairman Peter Grauer said. “Fifth Third’s GEI inclusion is a strong indicator to its employees, investors and industry peers alike that it is leading by example to advance ongoing efforts for a truly inclusive workplace.”
LAUNCHES
NALHFA launches the affordable housing podcast
The National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies launched an affordable housing podcast. There is a shortage of more than 7.2 million affordable rental homes for low-income families, and NALHFA intends to use its podcast to explore the reasons behind the affordability problem and offer solutions as to how the industry can work together to tackle the issue.
In the first episode of the series, which airs on the third Wednesday of every month, NALHFA Policy Director Heather Voorman discusses the New Markets Tax Credit Program with Norman McLoughlin of McLoughlin & Associates, who formerly served as NALHFA president.
