By Christine L. Mobley
Legal News
Charitable giving is a long-held tradition of the Association of Legal Administrators – Metropolitan Detroit Chapter (ALA).
Over the years, the organization has been involved in several charitable efforts including working with children’s charities, domestic abuse shelters, and the Special Olympics to name a few. Most recently, members concentrated their efforts on a clothing drive for the Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF).
The MVF contacted ALA President-Elect Vivian Straffon with Miller Canfield in a call seeking donations for business attire for veterans. She took their request to the ALA board.
“We decided that we wanted to make it an ALA effort,” Denise Doherty with Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson, & Citkowski PC, ALA director of Meetings & Publicity, explained.
The donations started pouring into the different designated drop-off locations and in a relatively short period of time the ALA had amassed a large quantity of men’s business and casual attire including suits, jackets, casual and dress pants, dress shirts, ties, dress shoes, tennis shoes, t-shirts, belts, and baseball caps.
“We got a really good response from our membership,” ALA President Beth Lockwood with Zausmer, Kaufman, August, Caldwell, & Tayler PC said. “I think everyone wants to help out the veterans – it’s such a good organization. The organization wasn’t asking for money – they were just asking you to clean out your closet.”
Many of the lawyers at the firms where ALA members work helped tremendously with their generous hearts as well.
“I was surprised at how many of our partners (contributed),” Lockwood said. “One of my partners brought in nine suits. I think it was just a really good thing to do.”
Even once the ALA’s collection period was over, many donations still came in. According to Doherty, as a result the MVF was able to put together an entire room full of clothing where veterans can go and get what they need in order to go out on job interviews and to wear on a daily basis in the workplace.
“Every year the ALA will do something – whether it’s with backpacks or working with different organizations,” Doherty said. “This one just touched all of our hearts.”
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