Karen Britton

Volunteer for Avon 39 Walk (www.avon39.org)

"AVON 39ers have banded together since 2003 in solidarity with one goal: to take breast cancer down."

Q & A with Karen

How long have you been with this organization?

At the request of my tennis buddies, for the first time we formed a team "Tennis Divas" and participated in the Avon39 Walk to end Breast Cancer on May 2-3. I thought it would be great to join in with fellow walkers here in the D.C. area for a worthy cause to raise money to save and improve lives of people living with breast cancer.

What were your reasons for joining?

AVON 39 is such a great cause. I joined because all of the money that we raised went directly to folks here in the D.C. metropolitan area helping to fund research, awareness, and education while providing assistance for families currently battling breast cancer. We each had a specific dollar goal that we worked towards and it was great fun to achieve that goal and to be able to walk 39 miles over the course of one weekend.

What things do you do?

Generally I love to be active and on the move. I walk, run, workout, and I'm an avid tennis player. I've completed the Marine Corp Marathon and hope to continue with events such as the Avon Walk where I have a direct influence on raising funds towards much needed screenings and treatment to detect breast cancer early.

How much time do you spend volunteering each month?

I like to donate at least one weekend each month to volunteering. I started preparing for the Avon 39 walk a month in advance by walking every day 3-5 miles and then scheduling long walks (10-15 miles) each weekend. I wanted to make sure that I had strength and endurance to be able to finish the walk. Sadly, some people are living with pain and fear. I thought that my blisters would be a small price to pay for such a worthy cause.

What do you see as the benefits of joining or volunteering for the organization?

One major benefit is that I was able to not only get funds but additionally share information/facts with my friends, family, and colleagues about Breast Cancer including:

• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.
• Each year it is estimated that more than 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.
• Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year.

I had several friends say that as a result of this information they would make sure that they followed up with their annual mammogram which is fantastic when you think about what it means for preventable steps we can all take regarding early detection of this disease.

In your opinion what impact has the organization had on the community?

Avon 39 has such a significant impact across the country and in various cities. Just here in Washington D.C., during the May 2-3 weekend, more than 2,000 folks walked 39 miles and raised 4.6 million dollars for this community. This is helping to crush fear, doubt, and breast cancer one step at a time.

Erik Cooper

Volunteer for Columbia Ravens Basketball (www.columbiaravensbasketball.com)

An organization that seeks to foster "an environment that encourages youth to strive for excellence both on and off the field of play."

Q & A with Erik

How long have you been with this organization?

I have been with the Columbia Ravens for 4 years.

What were your reasons for joining?

My daughter plays basketball and I wanted to contribute by teaching and training girls on the game of basketball and life.

What things do you do?

I run practices and coach the girls through tournament and showcase events. (Our Columbia Ravens 11th Grade Girls team won the 2014 U.S. Junior/Nike 17U National Championship in Washington, D.C.!) I have provided a means for the girls to gain attention from college coaches on all division levels (D1, D2, and D3) of the NCAA.

How much time do you spend volunteering each month?

I spend approximately 4 to 8 hours depending on the team schedule.

What do you see as the benefits of joining or volunteering for the organization?

I get a chance to help girls develop their skills and their individual games for future endeavors with basketball.

In your opinion what impact has your organization had on the community?

There is potential for the seniors on the team to receive basketball and academic scholarships to all levels of NCAA college basketball. We contribute to the Howard County (Maryland) community with fundraisers for various causes and provide a recreational outlet for hundreds of kids with practices and basketball games on the weekend.

How can others support your organization?

Others can contribute by visiting the Columbia Ravens Basketball website and contacting anyone on the Columbia Ravens Basketball Advisory Group www.columbiaravensbasketball.com.

Bill Bodine

, Grants Committee member

"The whole is more than the sum of its parts."

Q & A with Bill

How long have you been with this organization?

I've been involved with FGP for almost two years now. I am honored to have become a member of the FGP team as a member of the grants committee from the onset.

What is FGP and what do you do?

The FGP is "a group of extraordinary people looking to improve their community, inspire more giving, and nurture the next generation of community leaders and philanthropists." FGP pools their charitable contributions and members volunteer their talents to give support to small, emerging, Frederick County, MD-based nonprofits. We plan and participate in group service projects and events with our grantees, we network, and we socialize at all kinds of events, from happy hours to house parties - all while raising awareness for numerous issues that affect thousands of lives. I think FGP is different because we don't just give a grant every year - we supplement that with our varying expertise and strong volunteerism attitude and help the nonprofit awarded the grant with a variety of projects! As we say on our web site, "Our time is just as valuable as our money, and when we donate our time in combination with our money our impact is even greater."
Our fundraising events help raise money outside of membership fees to cover operating expenses so that 100% of our membership fees go to a local non-profit. Each year, we accept applications from nonprofits, our membership votes, and we make a combined grant to a local Frederick County nonprofit and the people they serve. Last year, we made our first grant award. FGP was able to raise more than $8,000 and give that as a grant to Cakes for Cause.

In your opinion what impact has FGP had on the community?

FGP is a fantastic group of people who simply want to improve the Frederick, MD community by collectively giving back. We also want to inspire others to give with us. The idea behind FGP is that we can make a bigger difference collectively.

What were your reasons for joining?

I'm a giver! Giving in this way has been very rewarding for me as an individual, knowing that my contribution is combined with others to make a larger difference. As Aristotle once wrote, "The whole is more than the sum of its parts."

What are the benefits of joining the organization?

I have the opportunity to help nonprofits achieve their vision and also build meaningful relationships with the other awesome people at FGP and the nonprofits we support. I was interviewed by Comcast about what we do at FGP: watch it here!

Energy Star

Our company has shown its commitment to the environment by being a pledge driver for the ENERGY STAR® campaign since 2006. ENERGY STAR is a joint effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

We encourage our employees to pledge energy efficient actions in order to save on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since then, our staff and friends have saved more than 1,644,256 lbs. of greenhouse gases. Each year, we've met or exceeded our goals of saving GHGs.

It's easy to make your commitment to the environment, just click on the ENERGY STAR icon on the right side of this page. Choose your energy-efficient action(s), selecting from various categories such as Heating and Cooling, Lighting, and Electronics.

Universities at Shady Grove Scholarships

We want to see people succeed. We believe that education - whether it's book learning or on-the-job training - is important to every individual's growth. It's a way to advance your life skills, career knowledge, or even help you lift yourself out of poverty.

e-Management's multi-year pledge to provide $1,500 scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in information technology (IT) majors at the Universities of Shady Grove campus is inspired by our 15th anniversary in business.

Our commitment to education continues through paid and non-paid internships, and tuition benefits and free professional training opportunities for our staff.

A Wider Circle

One of e-Management's strategic goals is to promote corporate citizenship in the areas of education, energy and the elimination of poverty. We did our research and found A Wider Circle's (AWC) mission to help adults and children lift themselves out of poverty was consistent with the kind of impact we wanted for our community.

We began our partnership with AWC in the fall of 2011 by holding two company-wide donation drives and "adopting" a local family for Christmas. We continue our commitment to AWC by helping them through fundraising, in-kind donations, and volunteering. In March 2012 the partnership was furthered strengthened when our founder & CEO, Ola Sage, was appointed to AWC's Board of Directors.

AWC is based in Silver Spring, Md., and serves families in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. For more information on A Wider Circle and how you can make a difference, visit www.awidercircle.org.