Happy Holidays from all of us at Woods Aitken LLP. As we celebrate our 100th anniversary, we are honored to have earned the trust and confidence of clients and friends who have contributed to our success. It has been our honor to serve you. We wish you a joyous holiday season and wonderful New Year! The "Joy of Giving" returns this season.
Joy of Giving
In 1921, Frank Woods, Sr., Thomas Woods, and William Aitken founded the law firm Woods, Woods & Aitken. The founders believed that serving the community was an obligation entailing more than the provision of outstanding legal services; it also entails active involvement and charitable contribution. This belief still holds true today. Every attorney and staff member in our law firm is committed to making our communities better places to work, live, and raise a family.
This fall and in reflection of our 100th anniversary, $100.00 was given to each member of the Woods Aitken family with the simple and profound task of doing the most good with it in the community.
Here are a few stories about our gifts:
A Warmer Day
Having recently moved to Lincoln and knowing how cold it gets in the winter, I though contributing to a cause that strives to provide warm clothes for children in need was a good fit.
Big Brothers, Big Sisters
I am currently spending an entire semester researching and working with this organization for one of my classes, so this was a great opportunity to give back to them for all they do!
BRAVE Animal Rescue
BRAVE Animal Rescue is a small, volunteer-based animal welfare organization dedicated to rescuing homeless animals here in Lincoln.
Casa de Paz
Casa de Paz (House of Peace) is a remarkable organization, run entirely by volunteers and funded by donation. The organization offers practical and emotional support in the form of free lodging, meals, transportation, and essential items to guests visiting their loved ones inside the immigrant detention center and to those who have been released and need help finding stability. The best communities are formed when all members feel supported, welcome, capable, and safe. Casa de Paz connects new community members with current community members who wish to extend these values to them, bringing out the best in all.
Chariots4Hope
Working in collaboration with many area nonprofits, Chariots4Hope is a faith-based nonprofit that restores donated cars that meet its quality standards and awards them to eligible low-income families, who are referred to it by other nonprofit agencies. According to Chariots4Hope, transportation is critical to nearly every component of daily life. It enhances both physical and economic mobility and is a key factor in workers ability to find and retain employment. Employment requires mobility. Workers need transportation to jobs and child care centers and other services that make work possible. Unreliable transportation can have grave consequences for the working poor, including added expenses for chronic car repairs or late fees for child care, lower earnings due to delays getting to work, and possible job loss. Accordingly, Chariots4Hope’s mission is to provide the needed vehicles to these families.
Child Advocacy Center
The Child Advocacy Center is a place “where small voices can be heard” helping victims of child sexual abuse or neglect. This organization understands the courage it takes to “tell” and provides a safe environment for forensic interviews and medical evaluations. They partner with law enforcement, Health and Human Services, healthcare providers, and prosecutors to make an impact.
City Impact Gifts of Love
My Mission Possible funds were donated to City Impact Gifts of Love, which is one of Lincoln’s largest and longest running Christmas outreach programs that seeks to provide Christmas with dignity to local families in need. Last year, Gifts of Love provided quality presents to over 3,000 children and parents.
Colorado Youth Outdoors
CYO’s mission is building relationships through traditional outdoor recreation. To accomplish this mission, we integrate the phrases Participate, Appreciate, Communicate, and Dedicate into our recreation curriculum. We call this method of integration the PACD Model and incorporate it within all our activities, including fishing, archery, camping, shooting sports, and nature play.
Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties' Gathering Place
Everyone deserves a hot meal and somewhere that feels like home. The Gathering Place works to ensure no one in Lincoln goes without a good, healthy meal. Annually over 34,000 meals are shared with the poor, elderly, lonely, homeless, hungry and disenfranchised and, if only for an hour or two, they gather as one.
Completely Kids
We donated our mission funds to Completely Kids, who will use the funds to fill backpacks of food for kids that do not have enough food at their home each weekend.
Dolly's Legacy Animal Rescue
This local rescue saves orphaned and abandoned pets from overcrowded shelters where they are out of time and out of hope to make it out alive.
Domesti-PUPS
This local organization provides service dogs free of charge to selected recipients.
Food Bank of Lincoln
There is always a continuing need for food donations, especially during the current COVID-19 impact on our communities!
FoodNet Lincoln
FoodNet is a volunteer organization that is trying to stop food waste in Lincoln by giving almost-expired food from grocery stores to people in need at various locations in Lincoln every day.
Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools
I used the Mission Possible funds entrusted to me to make a donation to the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools. I believe that public schools are a keystone to the future success of our community. Only through investment in our children today, can we hope for a better tomorrow in Lincoln.
Habitat for Humanity
It’s the definition of helping people help themselves. Most costs are paid by donations. But, buyers have to (1) help physically build the house, (2) take courses on home maintenance; and (3) show enough income to pay the reduced monthly mortgage.
Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy
I have friends that have children that use their services and the joy that riding and interacting with the horses brings to these kids is amazing. HERTA serves children and adults with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, brain tumors, head or spinal cord injuries, visual impairments, autism, developmental delays, and strokes. Certified instructors and licensed therapists help inspire emotional, cognitive, social, and physical growth through interactive and engaging activities with horses. HERTA’s mission is to improve the quality of life both physically and emotionally of adults and children of all ability levels through equine-assisted activities.
Jewish Federation of Omaha
This year’s campaign “symbolizes coming back together and engaging as a community.” This organization has been particularly meaningful to us, and we envision it will be even more impactful in our lives as our child grows up.
Juniper Refuge
I donated to Juniper Refuge, whose mission is to cultivate community across cultures and to serve and engage our refugee population. With 120 Afghan refugees expected in Lincoln any day, they will make great use of this donation. Mission accomplished!
Lincoln Children's Zoo
As a child, going to the zoo was something that I enjoyed and looked forward to every summer. As a parent, I see the same joy in my children. It is one of our favorite places to go and we make a trip nearly every weekend in the summer. Riding the train, feeding the giraffes, watching the penguins, and racing to feed the “paper eating lion,” etc., are moments that we cherish and look forward to as a family.
McCook Christmas Toy Box Program
There are some areas in rural Nebraska where those in need during the holiday season may not have access to the same number of resources that are available in more urban areas. Fortunately, McCook, Nebraska, has a Christmas Toy Box program, that collects new and lovingly used toys to distribute to parents with a need in the southwest Nebraska counties of Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Hitchcock, Frontier, Red Willow and Furnas, as well as the northwest Kansas counties of Decatur, Rawlins, Cheyenne and Norton. Several of our staff and attorneys decided to contribute to the program, and together, they were able to contribute a large number of toys, necessities, and other gifts to help the Christmas Toy Box program continue to provide joy to children during the holiday season.
Natural Resources Defense Council
I donated to Natural Resources Defense Council. The NRDC protects land, oceans, natural resources, and wild lands; works to make cities healthy and sustainable; fights climate change; and pushes pollution controls and environmental and food safety. They fight for good of the whole planet, a cause I wholly support!
P.E.O.
I chose to give the $100 to P.E.O. (“Philanthropic Educational Organization”), an organization that I’ve been deeply involved in since 2001 and now serve as an officer both in my local chapter and as a Project Chair for the International Peace Scholarship at the State level. P.E.O. was founded in 1869 by seven women students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Through grass roots local fundraising in chapters all over the U.S. and Canada P.E.O. awards monies to women of all ages and educational needs through our six (6) Projects to further women’s education specifically.
Project Pink'd
Project Pink’d helps survivors of breast cancer throughout Nebraska and western Iowa by assisting those in the midst of treatment with financial burdens, offering emotional support to those in the midst of cancer treatments, and providing practical tools and support to survivors so that they can move on after cancer treatments are finished. Over just the past few years, multiple attorneys at Woods Aitken and multiple people in my own family (as well as myself) have SURVIVED breast cancer diagnoses. Groups such as Project Pink’d help women through their breast cancer journeys.
Refugee Empowerment Center
I am giving my $100 to the Refugee Empowerment Center in Omaha to assist with the resettling of the Afghan refugees.
Sarah's Home
Sarah’s Home is a Colorado organization serving girls ages 12-18 who have been rescued from human trafficking. Over 300,000 children are trafficked in the United States every year. Sarah’s Home gives rescued girls a safe, secure space to heal with assistance from licensed, specialized staff who provide healing, education, restoration and reintegration services.
Seward Senior Shuttle
The $100 I was given was added to my own $100 and went to the Seward Senior Shuttle. They provide transportation for senior citizens of Seward, NE, who are age 60 or older and are ambulatory. This service is funded entirely through contributions and donations like this one.
Sheldon Museum of Art
The Firm has deep ties to the building and the history of Sheldon. I believe that the Sheldon Museum of Art provides a great place to view, discuss, think, rest, and be surrounded by world class art in an amazing environment. The museum also furthers understanding and appreciation of art to young people throughout the state.
Shriner's Children's Twin Cities
Shriners Children’s Twin Cities commonly known as Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shriners Children’s has been changing children’s lives, including my son’s life, since 1922 by delivering specialty pediatric care to children with orthopedic conditions.
Siena Francis House
Every winter I join forces with our Nebraska Association of Legal Administrators to raise funds for the Siena Francis House to support their Annual Winter Warmth Drive. These monies will be used to provide winter coats, gloves, blankets, and handwarmers to individuals experiencing homelessness, while Siena Francis House provides emergency shelter, food, and clothing and most importantly, hope; the hope of achieving permanent housing out in the community.
Special Olympics Nebraska
We wanted to support one of our own members of the Woods Aitken family! We also think it is pretty impressive that Special Olympics Nebraska serves 5,500 athletes locally, and wanted to help support their mission to exceed each athlete’s personal bests on the playing field and in life. With an online match by S.O.’s partner, Finish Line, we were able to double our agents’ contributions!
Wish of a Lifetime
I chose to donate to Wish of a Lifetime, an organization that helps make the lifelong wishes of senior citizens come true. Watching senior citizens fulfil their dreams, no matter how big or small, is truly something special to witness.
Work Options for Women
This organization helps hard to employ people, especially those coming out of the criminal justice system, get job skills that allow them to be employable.
Young Survival Coalition
The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) is a nonprofit organization aimed at addressing the needs of the under-40 breast cancer survivors. The YSC aids young adults during survivorship, amplifies the under-40-with-cancer voice, and strives to improve quality of life by connecting survivors, educating survivors and healthcare professions, and providing support and resources for the unique issues facing the under-40 breast cancer survivor.