Primerus firms take Global Day of Service program to a new level

By Tom Kirvan

Leave it to Winston Churchill to put the beauty of volunteerism into concise and profound terms.

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give,” said Churchill, the legendary statesman who served as Great Britain’s prime minister during World War II.

His message was put into action during the annual Primerus Global Day of Service in early December, a time when those in the international legal community helped at local food banks, homeless shelters, toy drives, children’s hospitals, reuse centers, and Habitat for Humanity projects.

The volunteer efforts literally spanned the world, ranging from cities across North America to communities in Europe, Australia, and Africa.

In South Carolina, for instance, the Columbia-based law firm of Collins &

Lacy, P.C. took a three-pronged approach to its Day of Service program, choosing to support an Adopt-A-Family campaign championed by the Families Helping Families agency, a homeless shelter operated by Oliver Gospel Mission, and by placing wreaths in front of cemetery markers as part of the “Wreaths Across America” program in honor of fallen veterans.

“Our firm values our relationship with Primerus and its mission,” said Collins & Lacy President Christian Stegmaier. “We are pleased to align some of our local community service with the Primerus global service initiative. Our team members enthusiastically supported the program and had a rewarding experience with our local charities.”

Members of the Demorest Law Firm, PLLC, in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, pitched in to help pack perishable goods for

840 needy households in support of the Forgotten Harvest program.

“Forgotten Harvest works every day to fight hunger and food insecurity by delivering 144,000 pounds of surplus food per day to local charities in Michigan, free of charge,” said a spokesperson for the Demorest Law Firm. “It was great to contribute to their robust program.”

In Cleveland, the Primerus firm of Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP began the Global Day of Service with a food drive for homeless veterans in conjunction with Frontline Services.

“We also participated in the Twinkle Shop of theirs in which toys and necessities are collected (through the firm’s employees) for displaced children and their guardians, having been re-homed due to unfortunate circumstances to one or both parents of the children,” said Firm Administrator Venera Ilievska.

“We gathered on December 20 at the Cleveland Browns’ Stadium and volunteered to take the adults one way and the children the other way to the Twinkle Shops and have them ‘shop’ for each other from all the toys/items having been donated,” Ilievska said. “It’s meaningful to meet all the individuals and children during this time.”

In Bogotá, Colombia, members of Pinilla, González & Prieto Abogados firm teamed with the Fundación Luz Pan y Vida, an organization “from the community for the community,” according to a spokesperson for the firm.

“We worked with the Foundation, which takes care of the children of the recyclers in the Olivos neighborhood and the municipality of Bosa while their parents work,” the spokesperson said. “In addition, they help them with their tasks, give them food, and train them in different playful activities, thus improving their quality of life.”

In Harare, the capital city of the Southern African nation of Zimbabwe, the firm of Mhishi Nkomo Legal Practice provided a lift for the Albino Charity Organization, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children with albinism, a disorder affecting the eyes and skin.

“Our commitment to making a difference led us to close our offices for the day, allowing every member of our firm to actively participate in the event,” said Communications and IT Officer Darlington Zondo of the visit to the group home near Harare. “It was a powerful testament to our shared dedication to community service. During our visit, we had an amazing time engaging with the children and sharing memorable interactions.

“To support the organization’s ongoing efforts, we donated much-needed sunscreen lotions, essential food supplies, and clothing items donated by families of members of our firm,” Zondo added. “We also actively participated in serving the food we prepared and socially interacted with the children. Witnessing the smiles on the children’s faces as we shared the meal was incredibly rewarding. By participating in . . . the Primerus Global Day of Service we aimed to make a positive impact and to be lawyers who are good people.”