Service Days 2016: Giving Back to the Community and Local Organizations

More than 200 Bernstein Shur attorneys and staff members volunteered at various organizations throughout ME and New Hampshire. The firm coordinates Service Days give back to their respective communities and local organizations. On Friday, June 10 our Manchester, New Hampshire team volunteered at the state’s largest soup kitchen and homeless shelter, New Horizons for New Hampshire. Friday, June 17, the firm’s Portland and Augusta offices teamed up to support numerous organizations throughout ME.

“On average, our firm collectively dedicates nearly 2,000 hours each year in pro bono legal services, and many regularly volunteer for local nonprofits,” said Pat Scully, CEO of Bernstein Shur.  “Whether in the office or out in the community, we owe it to our friends and neighbors to use our knowledge and skills to improve the lives of those around us any way we can.  Giving back to our communities is a core part of who we are.”

Manchester Service Day

The Manchester team painted the floor of the dormitory at New Horizons a lovely shade of Bernstein Shur blue. In addition to moving and replacing all the beds and painting the floor, they also did some weeding in their greenhouse, sorted donated clothes, and took a tour of the facility with their Executive Director.

YMCA

The YMCA team assisted with painting the children’s program room by lightening up the walls with bright white.

Goodwill

The Goodwill team performed mock interviews and resume critiques for two Goodwill Workforce Service programs.

Humane Society

The Greater Androscoggin Humane Society team participated in both in-door and out-door activities from raking and other light yard work to helping with the animals, preparing materials for cages, and cleaning the shelter.

Partners for World Health

Volunteers enjoyed sorting and organizing the medical supplies for Partners for World Health. This process involved: Macro-sorting – opening bags and boxes and sorting items into general category bins, Micro-sorting – further sorting general category bins into bins of more restrictive categories, creating kits of supplies (respiratory kits, surgical kits, birthing kits, etc.), and also packing, sealing and labeling boxes for shipment.

Portland Trails

The Portland Trails team assisted in a variety of outdoors tasks from picking up trash, planting, restoration of habitats, widening trails for handicap accessibility, and more.

Saco Trails

The group at Saco Bay Trails were involved in general site cleanup  including trash removal, graffiti removal, brush and limb pickup and move to areas in order to preclude use, along with planting, weeding, and painting.

NFI

The team participated in yard work, gardening, painting, sealing a deck, sealing a fence, and window washing at NFI North, Inc.

Trinity Jubilee Center.

Volunteers took part in in-door and out-door activities, such as raking and other light yard work, and helping prepare and serve meals at the Trinity Jubilee Center.

Center for Grieving Children

The Center For Grieving Children was in need of volunteers to work on organizing its basement. The team was able to help organize archived materials from events.

There was also a team from the Portland office that volunteered at ME Homeless Veterans Alliance, a non-profit whose priority is to locate and assist homeless veterans who are living on the streets