Feeling the urge to lend a hand in your community as coronavirus continues to disrupt our day-to-day lives, but don't know where to start? A few members from our Cleveland office have ideas that could help you find direction.
While it's a strange time for us all and contributing finances isn't an option for everyone, our team found a variety of ways to give back, even contributing unused materials that might otherwise end up sitting on their shelves.
Our team found unique methods of contribution in their communities, providing their own response to the outbreak of COVID-19, each supporting causes close to their own hearts, homes, and interests.
Adam Kilbourne, FSMPS, CPSM President
Putting his award-winning photography into the mix for a charitable act, Adam Kilbourne is helping people put a personal touch on some new items for our new normal. For starters, he’s offering free Zoom backgrounds, helping you add some personal flair to your next virtual meeting.
In addition, he’s also selling cloth face masks on his website for $13 dollars, which includes $1 donation to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, a donation that Adam matches for each purchase. These masks are vibrant and give a personal touch to the new necessity.
Many of Adam’s photography subjects are scenes from Lake Erie and the area’s surrounding Metroparks, giving individuals a chance to represent their community.
Terry Kilbourne, Chief Executive Officer
Terry Kilbourne found a number of ways to help with charitable efforts around the country. A long-time supporter of the YMCA, he joined approximately 900 other members from the Lake County branch in turning their monthly fees into a donation for the less economically fortunate members of the community.
Additionally, Mr. Kilbourne contributed to members on the front line fighting against the pandemic, as two former office members of the Tec Inc team shared their own fundraising efforts. “Taylor and Hannah Knoefel worked summers [at Tec Inc. Engineering & Design] while going to college to become nurses. They both are registered nurses, Taylor is an ICU nurse in San Diego, and Hannah is an ER nurse in Chicago. Inspired by their unselfish giving I donated to a GoFundMe group supporting an effort to show appreciation for ICU frontliners. Taylor is actually part of the committee that is spearheading this effort.”
In addition, he’s still supporting his favorite breakfast restaurant every day and having Saturday date night with his wife, Pam Kilbourne, just currently in to-go form.
Stephen Bohn | Senior Electrical Engineer
Working from home to help his children maintain their focus on remote learning, Stephen Bohn and his wife are planning on helping an organization close to heart.
With his brother-in-law acting as the Executive Director of Esperanza Inc., Mr. Bohn has an existing relationship with the organization, one providing educational opportunities to disadvantaged Hispanic youth in the areas surrounding Cleveland, Ohio. Stephen has plans to make a significant contribution ahead of Esperanza Inc.'s yearly awards banquet, which is currently on hold as the organization still hopes to host the event in-person.
Additionally, Mr. Bohn mentioned that his family tries to get take-out food when they can from some of their favorite restaurants in their community.
Stephen Schwarten, CSI CDT | Senior Mechanical Designer
Stephen Schwarten had the ability to make a direct impact on his community. After a friend of his wife began assembling materials to make complimentary masks out of recyclable materials, Mr. Schwarten and his family provided numerous reusable shopping bags.
Distributing the masks for free to other members of the community who needed the protective face coverings, the Schwarten family found a way to support their community with materials from around the house.
Somewhat surprisingly, the shopping bags work well as filtration materials for easy-to-assemble, homemade masks. If you want to make your own masks from home or perhaps make a few for your friends, the Center for Disease Control has a guide.