The Latest news about what is available to our Society in North America, These PR articles, bring the newest technologies, initiatives and helpful tools to those who need them through social services.
The event was honored by the presence of Councilman Robert Stephens, who represented the city of Miami Gardens. Councilman Stephens engaged in meaningful dialogue with the officers of the Gregory Smith Jr Foundation, discussing the critical role of nonprofit organizations in the community. The conversation also touched on the foundation’s purpose and explored future collaborations to enhance community events.
SteinLaw extends its heartfelt gratitude to all the donors who made this event possible, including VictimAdvocate.com, ANSANBL, TLC Recovery House, M&H Automotive, and numerous community members. The collective efforts resulted in raising $230, a testament to the community’s spirit and generosity.
“We are overwhelmed by the support and participation from the Miami Gardens community. This event was not just about providing a meal but about bringing the community together, showing solidarity, and giving back,” said a representative of SteinLaw.
SteinLaw remains committed to serving and supporting the Miami Gardens community and looks forward to organizing more events that foster community spirit and aid those in need.
For more information about SteinLaw and their community initiatives, please visit https://www.steinlaw.com/.
About SteinLaw
SteinLaw is a distinguished law firm recognized for its commitment to personal injury cases and its unyielding dedication to seeking justice for its clients. Led by Founder Brandon Stein, the firm offers robust legal representation, fighting to achieve maximum recovery for each case.
Over 11 months, Veterans Care Coordination, LLC withdrew 99.8% ($19,838.00) of Mr. Eber’s entitled benefit, leaving him with a mere $40.00 of his benefit. According to court documents, this conduct by the defendant involved concealing from Mr. Eber and his brother the fact that Mr. Eber was entitled to keep the pension portion of his benefit and did not have to use his entire VA benefit for home care services, from which the company profited through commissions.
After a rigorous trial before a jury of 12 in Long Beach, the jury found Veterans Care Coordination, LLC liable for financial elder abuse. The jury awarded $19,817.00 in economic damages, $50,000.00 in noneconomic damages, and $375,000.00 in punitive damages. According to Richard Eber, the brother of Lawrence Eber, “We need to stop this cottage industry that is taking pension benefits from vulnerable Veterans. I hope this verdict will be noticed by the VA and will draw attention to those businesses that profit by manipulating U.S. Veterans out of their pensions.”
James Morgan of Lanzone Morgan, LLP, representing the plaintiff’s estate, stated, “After four years of litigation, it is gratifying to see a jury agree that Veterans Care Coordination, LLC’s conduct amounted to financial elder abuse and should be punishable with a punitive damage verdict. This is a victory not only for Lawrence Eber but for all Veterans who may have been victimized by Veterans Care Coordination, LLC. No one should profit by wrongfully taking the pensions of U.S. Veterans.”
The verdict sends a strong message against the exploitation of elderly veterans and underscores the importance of protecting this vulnerable segment of our community. Lanzone Morgan, LLP remains committed to fighting against elder abuse and upholding the rights of seniors, especially those who have served our country.
About Lanzone Morgan, LLP
Lanzone Morgan, LLP is a leading elder abuse law firm, specializing in litigating cases of nursing home and elder abuse. With a deep commitment to defending the rights of elderly and dependent adults, the firm has been a steadfast advocate in securing justice for victims of elder abuse and neglect.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Employee Ownership (WICEO) is pleased to announce a two-year, $50,000 capacity building grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). The WEDC grant will focus on outreach to rural areas of Wisconsin and to companies with majority-BIPOC workforces about the benefits of employee ownership via Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).
MILWAUKEE, Dec. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Employee Ownership (WICEO) – the central hub for information and resources regarding transitioning Wisconsin businesses to an employee ownership model – is pleased to announce a two-year, $50,000 capacity building grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
The WEDC grant will allow WICEO to increase its capacity to address the ever increasing racial wealth equity divide by conducting outreach to businesses in rural areas of Wisconsin and those with majority-BIPOC workforces about the benefits of employee ownership via Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).
“In rural communities, a business owner’s retirement can too often mean the loss of a valued business,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC. “Employee ownership is one way for businesses to successfully navigate these transitions. This grant will allow the WICEO to educate and support more business owners planning for the future.”
As a result of this funding, WICEO is pleased to announce the hiring of Ryan Kauth as the non-profit organization’s first staff member. In his role as part-time Executive Director, Kauth will begin statewide programming, education, and outreach on all forms of employee ownership. Kauth is a business coach, lecturer at the Wisconsin School of Business, and has spent the past 25 years working with business owners, including financing strategies and exit strategies.
“We are grateful to the WEDC for their financial support of the WICEO mission adding to our capacity to carry out our mission by hiring a great candidate like Ryan,” said Steve Storkan, Executive Director of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network and Board Member of the WICEO. “We know from experience with other State Centers for Employee Ownership that once a staff member is hired, the effectiveness of a state center in delivering their message about the positive effects of employee ownership for business owners, workers, and communities increases dramatically.”
About the Wisconsin Center for Employee Ownership
The Wisconsin Center for Employee Ownership (WICEO) is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in February 2022, with a mission to protect jobs, increase community wealth, and create a more vibrant, inclusive economy. WICEO, a member of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX) – a network of 21 state centers – serves the entire state of Wisconsin as the central hub for free, unbiased information on employee-ownership. Its primary mission is to educate business owners and their advisors on the benefits of employee ownership. WICEO provides resources, case studies, articles, and a list of service providers who can assist with employee ownership transitions. To learn more, visit: https://wiceo.org.
About the Employee Ownership Expansion Network
The Employee Ownership Expansion Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded on July 4th, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA and headquartered in Arlington, VA. Its mission is to significantly expand employee ownership in the United States by establishing and supporting a network of independent, nonprofit State Centers for Employee Ownership. To date, EOX has provided funding and technical assistance to support the opening of 13 State Centers. EOX’s goal is to create one million new employee owners by 2025. To learn more, visit www.eoxnetwork.org.
Data silos have long been a thorn in the side of nonprofits, often hindering all elements of their success. Humanitru’s Stewardship Automation tool eliminates these barriers, ensuring that fundraising, stewardship, and marketing teams have full visibility into constituent engagement and stewardship touchpoints. This comprehensive view promotes collaboration and unity in supporter interactions.
“At Humanitru, we’ve always been obsessed with helping nonprofits engage with their supporters, donors, and volunteers in ways that efficiently scale for better, more authentic fundraising,” said Alan Wei, CEO, Humanitru. “We started off by consolidating that kind of data all into one place to enable this next, exciting phase of software designed to help provide nonprofit staff with more of their most sought-after resource: time.”
As nonprofits evolve and grow, they can do so confidently knowing that the Stewardship Automation solution scales with them. The tool’s pricing strategy is based on the number of actions processed, not the total number of supporters in the database, ensuring it remains cost-effective and valuable as nonprofits expand their reach.
The launch of Humanitru’s Stewardship Automation tool underscores the organization’s unwavering commitment to providing innovative solutions that empower nonprofits to thrive, even in uncertain times. Stewardship isn’t just a practice; it’s a lifeline, and Humanitru is ensuring that nonprofits have the tools they need to grasp it firmly and build lasting relationships with their major donors. More about this time-saving new tool can be found at humanitru.com/stewardship-automation.
Company Recognized for Exceptional Philanthropy and Community Engagement
QUINCY, Mass., Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Granite Telecommunications, a $1.85 billion provider of communications and technology solutions to multilocation businesses and government agencies, today announced it received the prestigious Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist Award. This honor acknowledges a company that exhibits an outstanding dedication to philanthropy by providing financial support and inspiring others to participate in charitable endeavors.
Guided by CEO Rob Hale, Granite has exhibited steadfast commitment to community service. Evident in Granite’s ethos of giving is the formation of Granite Gives Back Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created by the company to identify, plan and finance philanthropic initiatives. Leading by example, Granite Gives Back chooses a charitable organization weekly, encouraging the Granite team to support it, with Granite matching every dollar raised. Furthermore, the organization orchestrates volunteer events, wherein Granite team members actively engage through company-sponsored Volunteer Time Off.
“We are profoundly honored to receive the AFP’s Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist Award,” declared Rob Hale, President and CEO of Granite Telecommunications. “Our commitment to philanthropy is not just a facet of our identity but a driving force. We firmly believe in the transformative power of giving back, going beyond mere support to actively engage with and uplift our communities. This accolade is a testament to our team’s passion and dedication to bringing about tangible, positive change in the lives of others.”
This year, Granite achieved another notable milestone, securing its position as the No. 1 Leading Charitable Company in Massachusetts for the third time. This recognition underscores the company’s ongoing leadership in corporate philanthropy. Having donated $72.8 million to charities based in Massachusetts in 2022 alone, Granite has consistently proven itself to be a beacon of inspiration in the realm of corporate responsibility.
For more information about Granite’s philanthropic activities and its dedication to community involvement, please visit the Granite Gives Back website at http://www.granitenet.com/granitegivesback.
About Granite Granite delivers advanced communications and technology solutions to businesses and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada. The $1.85 billion company serves more than two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies and has 1.75 million voice and data lines under management, supporting more than 650,000 locations. Founded in 2002, Granite has grown to be one of the largest competitive telecommunications carriers in the U.S. by simplifying sourcing and management of voice, data and cellular service with a single point of contact and consolidated invoicing for all locations nationwide. Today, Granite supports customers with a wide range of services, including access, UCaaS, mobile voice and data, and MSP solutions for SD-WAN, monitoring and network management. Granite employs more than 2,250 people at its headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts, and 11 regional offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.granitenet.com..
Community mobilization is an assets-based model that identifies, responds to, and drives the mobilization of assets to create change in communities. Designed to equip community leaders with the tools needed to address father absence and promote father involvement, NFI’s multi-phase Community Mobilization Approach™ (CMA) creates an obtainable vision for rallying a community around responsible and committed fatherhood.
Baytown’s city-wide father engagement initiative will kick off in January 2024 with a workshop during which NFI staff will train community leaders to implement the CMA. NFI will also support leaders in completing a responsible fatherhood needs and assets assessment. Data on the current state of programs and services for fathers in the city will be gathered to produce a clear picture of the city’s fatherhood assets and the gaps that must be addressed to mobilize and build capacity to increase father involvement.
During the second phase of the CMA, Baytown will hold a Leadership Summit on Fatherhood facilitated by NFI and Baytown community leaders to generate input in developing a city action plan to promote responsible fatherhood. Through the summit and action plan development, Baytown will create a multi-sector Fatherhood Advisory Council (FAC) and a plan to guide the FAC in mobilizing the city that leverages NFI’s father-inclusive programs and resources.
“Many fathers in our city face challenges that prevent them from being actively engaged in their children’s lives, including drug or alcohol use,” said Thomas Reeves, Director of Public Affairs, with the City of Baytown. “Through our collaboration with National Fatherhood Initiative®, we seek to achieve positive change at home by creating safe and healthy environments for children, fathers, and families. This community mobilization effort will result in a much-needed roadmap for our city to deploy proven strategies that promote and support father involvement.”
NFI comes alongside human service organizations and practitioners with a strengths-based approach to father engagement training, evidence-based and evidence-informed fatherhood programs, and other educational materials to help them be more father inclusive. Developed in 1999, NFI has used its CMA to implement multiple community-based fatherhood initiatives as part of statewide efforts in Texas, Indiana, and Ohio and to launch regional and city-wide initiatives in six communities across the U.S.
“An injection of father-focused efforts into both the public and private sectors can have a profound impact on communities,” said Christopher Brown, president of National Fatherhood Initiative®. “NFI’s Community Mobilization Approach™ will create outcomes that are critical to sustaining buy-in from individuals and organizations to be intentionally father inclusive and providing those who serve Baytown fathers with the resources they need to succeed. We look forward in the coming year to collaborating with Mayor Capetillo and city leaders to launch this mobilization initiative.”
### About National Fatherhood Initiative® National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI) was founded in 1994 to reverse our nation’s destructive trend toward father absence. Today, more than 18 million American children live in homes without a biological, step, or adoptive father. Yet, the fact remains that millions of families interact with human service organizations every year that are primarily mother-focused. Therefore, NFI’s mission is to increase father involvement by equipping human service organizations and communities with the father engagement training, programs, and resources they need to be father inclusive. Our vision is that all human service organizations and communities are proactively father inclusive so that every child has an involved, responsible, and committed father.
Accordingly, we accomplish our mission by:
Educating all Americans, especially fathers, through social media, earned media, research, and free resources.
Equipping organizations and communities with fatherhood programs and resources through training, planning, and technical assistance services.
Engaging and assisting organizations and communities in mobilizing at the micro-level and macro-level to increase fathers’ involvement in children’s lives.
About the City of Baytown Located 30 minutes east of Houston, Baytown is a thriving gulf coast community of 84,000 people that offers a unique blend of natural beauty and industry prowess. The community is known for its friendly, caring, and welcoming nature, fostering a sense of unity. Baytown has a rich industrial heritage with companies that produce products that fuel the global economy. The region ranks second in the nation for having the most Fortune 500 headquarters. The enhanced job market and diverse industries contribute to the city’s dynamic and inclusive atmosphere.
To find out more about what the City of Baytown has to offer, visit baytown.org.
Media Contact
Maggie Spain, National Fatherhood Initiative®, 405-812-0685, [email protected], fatherhood.org
Melissa Byers, National Fatherhood Initiative®, 240-912-1273, [email protected], fatherhood.org
“This is a very big win for Canadian news publishers and shows that Google will commit to paying fair market value for quality journalism,” stated News/Media Alliance President & CEO Danielle Coffey. “This proves, yet again, that legislation is the only path to sustained right to payment for the fair market value of our quality content. The U.S. must stand up for our vibrant journalism industry and not fall behind other countries. Big Tech cannot continue to harm local news. Congress must protect our democracy and our constitutional right to a free press by implementing legislation that will help sustain quality journalism in America.”
Canada is the latest in a string of countries around the world that have recognized the need to protect quality journalism and passed legislation requiring the tech platforms to pay news publishers for use of their content, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
The Canada bill and today’s deal build momentum for the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA – AB 886, introduced earlier this year by California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland)) – the goal of which will be discussed at an informational hearing next week – and the federal Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) (S.1094, reintroduced in March by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John N. Kennedy (R-LA)) in the U.S. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted favorably in June for the JCPA, which would allow digital journalism providers to collectively negotiate with Google and Facebook for fair compensation for use of their valuable content.
The JCPA has broad support, not only in Congress in both the House and the Senate, but also from over 300 consumer interest groups, unions, conservatives, advocacy groups and third-party organizations that have sent letters of support for the JCPA to the bill sponsors.
The tech platforms are the dominant distributors of news content, reaping tremendous financial benefit without compensation to those who create the content. They also capture the majority of U.S. digital ad revenue, leaving local publishers with little to reinvest in the production of high-quality journalism.
EcoVadis Positioned Evalueserve in the Top 25% of Rated Companies
ZUG, Switzerland, Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Evalueserve was recognized with a Silver EcoVadis Medal for its excellence in sustainability. Evalueserve’s updated EcoVadis Scorecard places the company in the top 25 percent of companies evaluated by the EcoVadis platform in 2023.
This year’s silver medal builds on the bronze EcoVadis recognition received last year, highlighting Evalueserve’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. The EcoVadis assessment evaluates companies across areas including Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.
“Our sustained progress in the EcoVadis ratings to silver this year is a proud moment for us at Evalueserve,” said Sumeet Chander, COO at Evalueserve “This accolade reaffirms our resolve to integrate sustainability into business strategy and operations, making a positive impact on society and the environment. This achievement is not just a milestone but an initial step towards the long-term sustainability goals of Evalueserve. It underscores our commitment to continuous improvement and dedication to shaping a sustainable future.”
The improvement in Evalueserve’s EcoVadis score reflects its efforts towards enhancing sustainability measures, implementing ESG initiatives and long-term commitment to driving meaningful change.
Stakeholders and partners can access the full EcoVadis Scorecard to explore in-depth insights into Evalueserve’s sustainability journey and achievements. Check out the details here.
About Evalueserve
Evalueserve is a global AI-enabled solutions provider that enhances and accelerates decision-making throughout enterprises. More than 30% of the Fortune 1000, including over 25,000 platform users, rely on Evalueserve’s unique product-led solutions powered by domain-specific AI and subject matter experts. Evalueserve is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. Learn more at evalueserve.com.
Contact Us
For more information on Evalueserve’s sustainability initiatives or to request an interview, please contact Renuka at [email protected].
The State of Inclusion study seeks to identify adverse workplace experiences contributing to an overall sense of exclusion among women and underrepresented individuals. These experiences significantly impact satisfaction levels, productivity and retention. To expand on the preliminary findings of this study, WiCyS encourages all members of the workforce, including men, women and allies, to participate in any one of the eight hour-long workshops scheduled for December 5-8.
“The pioneering study results were fascinating,” states Lynn Dohm, WiCyS executive director. “We pinpointed women experiencing a glass ceiling at around six years within an organization. Additionally, we identified that 57% of women experienced ‘career growth and advancement’ as a strong contributor to their experiences of exclusion. Having this data is important for us as a nonprofit to open up the conversation within the industry to help them overcome these barriers for women on their teams and be intentional on their initiatives to ensure the results achieve the success they are seeking.”
“All participants in our workshops, regardless of identity or professional characteristics, enjoy learning about the value of measuring inclusion, and how a focus on inclusion can benefit everyone without creating the backlash that has been associated with other DEI initiatives,” says Aleria chief scientist Paolo Gaudiano. “Participating in the optional, confidential interactive activity also contributes to our benchmark study and ensures that everyone’s voice is heard.”
All individuals, regardless of identity, employed in a cyber company or a cybersecurity-related role in any business type—consultants, entrepreneurs, teachers or students—are encouraged to participate. Secure your spot today and register for one of eight available workshops conducted between Dec. 5 and 8 at http://www.wicys.org/initiatives/wicys-state-of-inclusion/.
About WiCyS
Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) is a nonprofit organization with international reach dedicated to the recruitment, retention and advancement of women in cybersecurity. Founded by Dr. Ambareen Siraj through a National Science Foundation grant given to Tennessee Tech University in 2013, WiCyS offers opportunities, trainings, events, and resources for its community and members. Strategic partners include Tier 1: Akamai Technologies, Amazon, AT&T Cybersecurity, Battelle, Bloomberg, Carnegie Mellon University – Software Engineering Institute, Cisco, DeVry University, Ford Motor Company, Fortinet, Google, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Optum, Sandia National Laboratories, SentinelOne. Tier 2: Accenture, Intel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., McKesson, MITRE, Motorola Solutions, Navy Federal Credit Union, NCC Group, Workday, Yubico Inc. To partner, visit http://www.wicys.org/support/strategic-partnerships/.
Fortunately, this moment of rapid urbanization also presents a tremendous opportunity to provide clean cooking solutions at a massive scale.
“Most of the infrastructure needed to support these growing cities has yet to be built, which gives today’s urban planners, policymakers, and the private sector a valuable chance to lay the groundwork for widespread adoption of clean cooking solutions in the years ahead,” said Dymphna van der Lans, CEO, CCA. “However, this transition must begin now to ensure that the world’s future megacities are able to pursue a path of sustainability and inclusivity.”
“For decades, ICLEI Africa has been supporting hundreds of cities and regions in building a resilient and equitable urban future; key to this is universal access to clean cooking,” said Kobie Brand, Regional Director, ICLEI Africa. “Every time a family gains access to clean cooking, their future looks brighter. They spend less time collecting fuel wood or charcoal, they benefit from reduced household air pollution, and they contribute to keeping more trees in the ground. We will continue to contribute to the clean cooking revolution wherever ICLEI Africa can add value.”
As world leaders gather at COP28, this report serves as a call to action for stakeholders to recognize that access to clean cooking in Africa’s cities is critical to meeting national, regional, and global climate targets and development goals.
“This report serves as a compass, guiding us towards a future where every African city can boast of accessible, clean, and efficient cooking solutions. It highlights the central role that providing access to clean cooking can have across multiple sustainable development goals, while addressing the issues of air pollution, health, gender equity, environment, and social development,” said Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
