GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
December 2011
Giving Back To The Community
KIDS IN DISTRESS, BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
www.kidinc.org
LEDs Making A Difference By Dean Ernst
We live in a very fast-‐paced society where sometimes we don't take time to help those that are in need most. Many of us have good intentions, but get caught up in the daily grind and focus only on the tasks at hand. We think "what can I do that will make a difference?" It is important to remember that everything great starts with first an idea and then a drive and determination to make it happen. It begins with one person but can quickly become a movement when others adopt the cause or common goal. Recently the team at LED Source® and the great people at Toshiba, LED Lighting Systems Division, came together to help make a difference for the South Florida based charity, Kids In Distress (KID). Originally starting in a small house in 1979 as an emergency shelter for the abuse and neglect of children, KID has since expanded services and grown to a 5-‐acre campus located in Broward County, Florida.
The mission of KID is to prevent child abuse, preserve the family and treat children who have been abused and neglected. KID has provided adoptive and shelter services to more than 6,000 children and their families, and is the only remaining emergency shelter in the area. Timm Stifter, Sales Support Manager at LED Source® has been involved with KID for several years, recently brought to light the challenges the charity was facing with their current lighting. Timm noticed that some of the facility’s incandescent bulbs were burned-‐out, mismatched and hard to change due to their location. The bulbs required constant replacing and maintenance, which caused unnecessary expenses for the charity. He knew that LED lighting would not only improve the current lighting conditions and provide an increased level of safety, it would also cut costs on maintenance and lower energy bills.
LED Source® and KIDs The staff and management of LED Source® with the children of KID -‐ Grif Palmer, Timm Stifter, Jason Ernstam, Andres Pereira, Troy Dockery, Jerry Mitchell.
Smile For The Camera Sheila Malone Jones, VP of Facilities and Support Services, with Timm Stifter and Cynthia Viteri from LED Source®.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
December 2011
A Helping Hand Upon learning about the need to update the current facility lighting at Kids In Distress, LED Source®, a Wellington, Florida based company, donated their services and labor for the project. Toshiba International Corporation, LED Lighting Systems Division, also responded by donating all the necessary LED lamps. The LED lighting retrofit included an activity room, a classroom, a TV room, front lobby, as well as some of the exterior lighting for the facility. The previous lighting consisted of a mix of 44 compact fluorescent and incandescent bulbs and 9 PAR38 bulbs. Using the latest in LED lighting technology from Toshiba, the bulbs were replaced with long-‐
lasting second generation A19, PAR30 and PAR38 lamps. These LED lamps last up to 40 times longer and use up to 75 percent less energy than traditional bulbs. They also contain no mercury or lead and have a 5 year warranty. “Our goal is to provide a safe environment for children in need,” says Mark D. Dhooge Vice President and COO of KID. “The state of our facility is of utmost importance to us and we couldn’t be more grateful to LED Source® and Toshiba for donating their services to our organization.” So what can you do to help others? Donate your time and get others involved. You never know who will answer the call to action and create a movement.
Find out how you can help
Kids In Distress DONATE NOW www.kidinc.org
Special Thanks 3101 Fairlane Farms Rd, Suite 4 Wellington, FL 33414 866.900.4533 • www.LEDsource.com