Bringing Moore Heart to the New Normal

The first few months of 2021 have given life to the idea of a “new normal.” As many people start to plan for a year of new restrictions and unknown opportunity, they also may face challenges and setbacks. Amidst all this change, we have seen a surge in Moore Heart in our communities.

Moore Heart is based in our foundation of CARE…caring deeply, not just for the wellbeing and health of our member firms and people, but also for the communities in which they operate. In a time of renewed optimism, this outpouring of care and support has reassured many that we can get through all this together.

In February of this year, there was an overwhelming weather crisis in Texas. Three severe winter storms swept through the state, resulting in extremely cold temperatures, a massive electricity generation failure and resultant shortages of water, food and heat. We have several member firms in Texas that saw the need and rose to the occasion.

The Armanino Foundation provided two immediate assistance Health & Service grants to Dallas Forth Worth Red Cross and Austin Area Urban League Love Your Neighbor Campaign. The former supported the Red Cross’ mission to provide food, shelter and emotional support to affected parties, and the latter provided one week’s shelter for ten people in need.

HCVT also made donations to local organizations assisting those affected in Texas, including the Tarrant Area Food Bank and the Humane Society of North Texas. The Tarrant Area Food Bank is the primary source of donated food for hunger-relief charities in Tarrant and 12 surrounding counties, serving 1,000,000 meals each week. The Humane Society of North Texas had to close their clinic until repairs could be made, but the adoption centers remained open and their pets were safe and warm.

In addition to these recovery-based efforts, we also have many members that have maintained their charitable relationships throughout the year, helping these operations pivot their efforts to support their changing community.

Lurie Partner Kate Siegrist is on the board for Dress for Success. This organization has done some great work this year, pivoting from providing women with business clothes to computers and digital resources to help women excel and find positions.

CDH regularly supports the American Cancer Society, especially their Relay for Life event. They have also previously held a blood drive and would like to continue that tradition. Last year, they were unable to hold an in-person drive, but encouraged people to safely donate on their own. Ongoing support from firms like CDH helps charitable organizations like these rebound from the constant programming changes and updates from the past year.

In February, Topel Forman donated to two great organizations that help food-insecure households in their community: The Love Fridge and Metro Caring. The Love Fridge is a Chicago-based initiative to nourish communities through mutual aid. They believe that feeding oneself is not a privilege; it's a right. Metro Caring is Colorado's leading frontline anti-hunger organization. They work with their community to meet people's immediate need for nutritious food while building a movement to address hunger's root causes. The Topel Forman Denver team has loved volunteering at their Fresh Foods Market in the past, and have seen firsthand the impact Metro Caring makes in their community.

Segal raises donations for different charities throughout the year, called Give Back Day. This past quarter, they selected Fix The 6ix as their benefactor, an organization that supports those experiencing homelessness and the organizations that advocate them. Segal was able to raise $4,400 last quarter to support this organization.

As we adjust to the “new normal” it is refreshing to see that part of that normal includes supporting our communities. Moore Heart has remained a constant throughout the chaos, and we are proud to see our members continue to care for their communities as they recover. We can’t wait to see what you do next!