Giving Tuesday at DecisionOne
I hope everyone had a happy & safe Thanksgiving! The Thanksgiving holiday has evolved into nearly an entire week full of events - we have actual Thanksgiving, Black Friday which many families have turned into a bonding tradition, and even Cyber Monday where you can shop from the convenience of your own home. One day though that not everyone knows about is today - #GivingTuesday. Giving Tuesday is a day meant for giving back to causes that are important to you, especially at a local level. One cause that has been very dear to both myself and DecisionOne is supporting the Clearbrook organization through our A Reason To Smile program.
For those unfamiliar, Clearbrook is a local non-profit organization that provides services to children, adults and families impacted by developmental and intellectual disabilities. Several years ago it came to our attention that many clients of Clearbrook did not have access to the dental care they needed. We knew we had to do something about this. Utilizing "A Reason To Smile", our charity arm of DecisionOne Dental Partners, we started a program to provide dental services to clients of Clearbrook. Since starting this program in July of 2014, we have been able to provide dental care to 160 clients free of charge! This program would not exist if not for D1's team members volunteering their time.
When we talk about giving, we often talk about what the other person gets. But when it comes to Clearbrook, I think we get more out of it than they do. Any chance I have to attend one of our Clearbrook events I'm there. It's always an afternoon full of fun, laughter, and the most genuine people you'll ever meet. One of my favorite stories is when a patient found out that both my brother Michael Acierno and I work together, and I jokingly said that I was the good brother and he was the bad brother. That patient made sure to let Mike know that and would bring it up every time they come in. There are so many other anecdotes like that that have come up over the years we've been working together with Clearbrook and I can't wait to see what else comes in the future as we continue to work side-by-side with Clearbrook.
No matter what cause is important to you, I hope you take a few minutes today to think about what you can give back to for Giving Tuesday. Something exciting happening this year - Facebook and PayPal are matching donations up to $7 Million Dollars for anything donated to non-profits using Facebook's donate tool! And don't forget, giving doesn't always have to be financial - just giving your time is something that not everyone can do. If you'd like to learn more about Clearbrook, visit www.clearbrook.org.