So many security services firms give back by holding charitable or community events that have a positive impact on our neighborhoods and communities. Last year, I touched on a few of these efforts in my editor’s column in December, hoping to make it an annual tradition. I concluded by asking the security service provider community to let me know what they did in 2015...and the responses flooded in.
SD&I, for its part, also participated in these charitable efforts by serving as a sponsor to the Mission 500 Security Industry Softball Game, joining a host of vendors, publications and security service providers.
As a result of donations and money raised through game sponsorships, Mission 500 was able to provide school supplies, warm clothing, soap, shampoo, books and diapers to children in the U.S. Closer to home, about 200 children in the South Bronx received school supplies for the new school year thanks to the help of game attendees, volunteers and players.
Here’s a roundup of just some of the many charitable and other activities that security dealers, integrators and service providers contributed to their communities in 2015 —and yes, as this is a new annual tradition in SD&I, please send me details of your company’s efforts as they happen throughout 2016!
Ackerman Security Systems, Atlanta, donated $5,000 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Georgia Chapter, proceeds from its 11th Annual Charity Golf Tournament. Ackerman also sponsored for the ninth time the “Strike out Leukemia and Lymphoma Radiothon” presented by 680 The Fan radio, which benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Additionally, Ackerman partnered with WSB Radio as a sponsor and large donor to the 2015 WSB Care-a-Thon, which raised over $1.5 Million dollars for the AFLAC Cancer Center at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
ADS Security, Nashville, Tenn., participated in a number of 2015 charitable activities: ADS presented all the money earned by management through its referral program in 2014 to ReBOOT Combat Recovery; the company donated gently used iPads to the YWCA of Middle TN; and it held a company-wide food drive to help feed communities throughout the southeast.
Alarm Detection Systems Inc., Aurora, Ill., has a Charitable Committee comprised of more than 40 dedicated employees who actively participate in events throughout the year. Each month, the company raises more than $2,000 in employee donations, which the committee uses to support non-profit organizations, local food pantries, health and wellness centers, school districts, homeless shelters and senior homes throughout Northern Illinois. For example, ADS volunteers at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) about four times a year — a local charity that packs and ships healthy meals to impoverished children around the world.
All Systems, Kansas City, Ks., participates each year in Bikers for Babies — a national event for the March of Dimes — which resulted in a nearly $10,000 donation. The All Systems employee who coordinates it had a child who benefited from the March of Dimes. The company also sent an entire van full of donated gifts for kids to Tom’s Mission and participates in an annual Harvesters (food bank) drive.
Amherst Alarm, Amherst, N.Y., teamed up with Interlogix to donate a video security camera system to the Response To Love Center, which provides a variety of compassionate programs and a community outreach center in the Buffalo, N.Y., area.
Bates Security, Lexington, Ky., sponsored for the second year Lexington Swims, a two-hour swim safety class aimed at teaching youngsters how to be safe in and around the water. Through a generous grant from the company, the students are given a voucher for free swim lessons so they can complete a full eight-week course at the YMCA of Central Kentucky.
COPS Monitoring partnered with World Vision for a SchoolTools Kit building event to provide much-needed supplies to every student attending a local Palm Beach County Title I elementary school. Each kit also include a note to the parent or guardian announcing employment opportunities at its Boca Raton central station. COPS also hosted a successful community blood drive for the American Red Cross at its New Jersey headquarters.
Dakota Security Systems, Sioux Falls, S.D., employees completed a volunteer security project at The Bishop Dudley Hospitality House in Sioux Falls, a facility sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls to provide a coordinated community approach in providing assistance and relief to the poor, the vulnerable and those in need. Nearly 30 employees volunteered their time to ensure the 43 cameras (12 exterior, 31 interior), 4 door alarm sensors and 11 access control doors were properly installed.
EPS Security, Grand Rapids, Mich., raised more than $9,000 for community programs KitchenSage and Steepletown Neighborhood Services as a result of Director of Business Development David Hood’s climb of Mt. Rainier. The four-day climb included a variety of snow fields, varying degrees of incline, and the reality that nearly half the group would eventually be unable to complete the climb. Early in the morning on July 15, David and his group of climbers reached the summit at 9:45 a.m., just in time to see the sun rise over the Cascades.
Guardian Protection Services, Pittsburgh, Pa., has raised thousands of dollars for the Pittsburgh chapter of Variety the Children’s Charity, including holding 50/50 raffles, participating in an annual walk and most importantly, working on the charity’s “My Bike” program, which provides adaptive bicycles to eligible children with disabilities. Guardian has also received a “CHAMPion award” from the Allegheny Valley School (AVS) — a school for the intellectually and developmentally disabled — which recognized 18 years of Guardian’s commitment to providing holiday gifts to the AVS residents.
Holmes Security Systems, Fayetteville, N.C., has long been a sponsor and supporter of the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crimestoppers organization. Crimestopper’s main fundraising activity is its annual Barbeque, where Holmes Security provided its fleet of install vans as delivery vehicles, and 14 installation techs delivered plates of barbeque to businesses all over the county. Other Holmes employees donned aprons and manned the serving line – some for as long as 6 hours. More than $21,500 was raised.
HS Technology Group, Pikesville, Md., donated security systems, cameras, speakers and other equipment to the Rose of Sharon Equestrian School, which provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to develop basic horsemanship and stable management skills in a uniquely therapeutic environment.
Moon Security, Pasco, Wash., provided registration and security for the approximately 100 patients who attended the 4th Annual Dentistry From The Heart event at Cadwell Dental, which provides free dental services to those in need. The company also offered free alarm systems and monitoring certificates for use in various charity/community auctions in the TriCities area.
My Alarm Center, Newtown Square, Pa., has for the past three years been a proud corporate sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s annual Race for the Cure event held in Philadelphia on Mother’s Day. In advance of the race, the company held various fundraising programs which included raffling away gift baskets full of items donated from local organizations. In total, more than $10,000 was donated. My Alarm Center also had a team of employees participate in the MS Society’s annual MuckFest 5k mud-based obstacle course; and senior executives Amy Kothari, President and CEO, Anastasia Bottos, COO and Chief Strategy Officer, and Kelly Bond SVP Business Development, participated in Covenant House’s Sleep Out: Executive Edition in November, which raises awareness and funds in support of Covenant House’s mission to provide shelter and meals for homeless youth in America.
NorthStar Alarm, Orem, Utah, partnered with the Autism Resources of Utah County Council (ARUCC) to create an annual essay contest that provides home security systems and monitoring free of cost for families with children on the autism spectrum. Three families were selected to receive a NorthStar Alarm home security system equipped with the latest Honeywell technology. NorthStar and its employees also donated $4,790 to help victims of the Nepal earthquakes with emergency relief.
Operational Security Systems, Atlanta, recently completed a large “pro bono” project for the Center of Puppetry Arts for a new gallery that houses the new Jim Henson collection. Since 1978, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculum-based workshops and the hands-on Museum, as well as Distance Learning and Outreach Programs.
Protection 1 encourages each of its branch locations to choose one or more local organizations to help. In addition to the many branches that participate in charity work, P-1 offers two national-level events: All For 1 Day and Food For All Month. All For 1 Day is a national day of service, where in 2015, employees donated more than 1,000 hours of volunteer work to communities across the country through blood drives, clean-up projects, food and clothing drives, car washes and more. Food For All Month is a national food drive for local food pantries or shelters. One group that has been particularly active in the community is a group of technicians based out of Orem, Utah, who have adopted the Wounded Warriors Family Support organization as their charity of choice and have hosted multiple events to help out veterans in need. Operations Manager Mark Bateman and Vice President of Centralized Operations Ben Clark initiated Protection 1’s involvement with the charity, and event sin 2015 included the Charity Golf 4 Vets golf tournament, which raised $50,000 through team and individual registration and sponsorship donations.
The Protection Bureau, Exton, Pa., is active in the community, sponsoring events to benefit Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, MS and others, along with events for the Safe Harbor & the Domestic Violence Center for women and children; and support for veterans by sponsoring car shows, the American Legion Posts and West Chester Elks. The company also supports SVP Karen Ladd Baker’s organization MOSAIC South Africa, which has built a self-sustainable community of 26 houses in 5 years, along with a Rec Center and helped to provide jobs and training to families of orphaned & vulnerable children (OVC). Additionally, each year for the past 12 years, the Ladd family gives out a scholarship to 6 or 7 children of current employees who enroll in formal programs for post-high school education, and these awards help to defray the costs of tuition and /or books.
Securadyne Systems, Dallas, held its first annual Securadyne Community Service Day. All across the country, more than 300 employees from 19 different locations worked with numerous local charities including Boys & Girls Clubs, local food banks, and nonprofit vocational training organizations.
SecurAlarm, Grand Rapids, Mich., participates throughout the year in various community service opportunities. Most recently, eight employees went to Ronald McDonald House in Grand Rapids to bake cookies for the families that were residing there. “We all enjoyed the interaction we had with the current residents, as we were able to put a smile on their faces if even just for a moment.” says HR administrator Kari Wheeler.
Securewatch24, New York, and The Brooklyn Nets teamed together to support the 47th Precinct Community Council, the Clergy Coalition of the 47th Pct. and the NYPD 47th Precinct’s School Supply Giveback Festival in the Bronx. The event drew hundreds of school children who received backpacks and school supplies for grades K through 8.
Security-Net says that instead of giving out swag at its ASIS booth each year, the security integrator businesses decided to do something to give back to the community. This year they distributed home-made fudge which benefitted Chef Bruno in Anaheim at The White House. He now feeds 1,600 children a day and has just begun to help homeless/hotel families get into their own apartments as well.
Short Circuit Electronics Inc., Lee’s Summit, Mo., established a Community Outreach group that identifies one project a quarter. Last quarter the employees purchased school supplies that were given to Social Services and distributed to people needing assistance.
Surveillance Systems Inc. (SSI), Rocklin, Calif., gave back to the community and veterans across the nation through Allegiant Giving —a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of youth sports programs and military veteran services. SSI and Allegiant have supported events that raise money to honor disabled veterans across the nation with one of the main goals to supply them with ActionTrac chairs that help them go just about anywhere, along with funds for local schools, sports programs and scholarship programs.
Tech Systems, Duluth, Ga., donated nearly $60K to various charitable causes, including the American Cancer Society, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Make a Wish, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and many more in 2015.
Tyco Integrated Security, through corporate contributions, employee volunteer efforts and the Tyco Cares program, is able to leave a meaningful and lasting impact on the communities in which they operate. Here are some of its 2015 achievements: Support for Boca Helping Hands Thanksgiving Box Brigade, helping provide families in need with food for the holidays; Support for United Way, including $129,000 in donations, monetary support for its Youth Venture program, and Tyco’s annual day of caring that involves 2,500 employees and students taking on community projects; and a team of 21 employees in Boca Raton, Fla., raised over $2,300 for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. Tyco Cares and Tyco's Scott Safety unit sponsored the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Md.; and more than 100 TycoIS volunteers helped package over 20,000 meals for food pantries in Westminster, Mass., as part of a World Food Day event. In additional to several other charitable functions and initiatives nationwide, TycoIS’s Don Hsieh serves on the Feeding South Florida Board of Directors and Emmett McCord was recognized by the Fulton County (Ga.) Commission for Outstanding Community Service provided over many years.
Vector Security, Pittsburgh, Pa., has been sponsoring The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) since 2004 and have raised more than $50K in donations through years.
Vision Technologies Inc., Glen Burnie, Md., outreach and support includes: Our military (Adopt a Soldier) with multiple care packages sent overseas throughout the year; families in need of services (Harvest of Plenty through United Way); underprivileged children (school supplies donated to a Title 1 school); veterans (food donations and services to The Patriot House); as well as the need for blood donations for victims of accidents or those suffering with cancer (Red Cross twice yearly).
Xentry Systems Integration, Columbus, Ohio, worked with three Columbus charter schools to provide 200 K-8 students with backpacks full of classroom supplies including paper, pencils, pens, erasers, rulers and more. Most of the students come from immigrant families where English is not the native language.
» To submit stories of your company’s charitable work throughout 2016, please email Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman at [email protected].
Paul Rothman is Editor-in-Chief of Security Dealer & Integrator (SD&I) magazine (www.secdealer.com).
