AGS ‘Cares Program’ Tops $70K in Aid
The AGS Cares Program made fourth-quarter donations to eight charities that work to improve the lives of children, veterans, impoverished people and animals, both here and overseas.
“When you are blessed as our companies have been it is a sheer delight to give to charities that make a difference in the world. We believe folks like doing business with charitable companies and we are pleased to support great causes with a portion of our revenues,” said AGS President Brian Schaeffer in a press release, adding that checks totaling just over $10,000 were sent to their chosen charities during the month of December. This brings the total cash contributions to over $70,000 since the 2012 inception of the program.
The AGS Cares Program donation recipients included:
Feherty’s Troops First Foundation: This is a Laurel, Md.-based nonprofit organization that works to provide meaningful assistance to our service members who have suffered devastating injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan. www.troopsfirstfoundation.org
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. It’s also the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. www.stjude.org
Wounded Warrior: This non-profit organization was set up to provide post 9/11 veterans with a variety of programs to nurture wounded veterans’ minds and bodies, while encouraging their economic empowerment and engagement. Services include a combat stress recovery program, family support retreats, adaptive sports programs and soldier bicycle rides. The group also provides veterans who have lost multiple limbs with secondary rehabilitation for prosthetic care to maximize their mobility and help them regain independence through the organization’s partnership with Hangar Prosthetics and Orthotics. www.woundedwarriorproject.org
IMAHelps: Headquartered in Rancho Mirage, Calif., IMAHelps organizes annual humanitarian missions to provide critical healthcare services, including cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries, to some of the poorest communities in Latin America and Asia. IMAHelps medical teams include general internal medicine doctors, plastic and maxillofacial surgeons, pediatricians, OB-GYNs, dentists, prosthetists and physical therapists. Since it was founded in 2000, IMAHelps volunteers have provided free surgeries and other healthcare services to more than 80,000 indigent patients in Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Mexico. The organization’s next medical humanitarian mission is set for Aug. 6 to 16 in Zacatecoluca, El Salvador. www.imahelps.org
Joel Osteen Ministries: Joel Osteen is a native Texan and the Pastor of Lakewood Church, which according to Church Growth Today is America’s largest and fastest growing church. Joel Osteen Ministries provides the basic necessities of food, clothing and medical supplies to hungry children and families in need, while also using television, the Internet, podcasts and other new technologies to reach others with the Good News of the Gospel to inspire people everywhere and help them rediscover their true purpose in life. Joel Osteen Ministries is involved in vaccination programs, abandoned baby centers and centers for young troubled teens looking for a new life and a fresh start. www.joelosteen.com
KOA Care Camps: A non-profit charity of the KOA Owners Association, KOA Care Camps sends kids with cancer to special camps where they can enjoy camping and recreational experiences at no charge to their families. Created in 1984, the program has grown to support 52 KOA Care Camps across the country. www.koacarecamps.com
Operation Kindness: Founded in 1976, Operation Kindness is the oldest and largest no-kill shelter in North Texas. Its mission is to care for homeless cats and dogs in a no-kill environment until each is adopted into responsible homes and to advocate humane values and behavior. Operation Kindness has saved nearly 70,000 animals since its inception. Operation Kindness cares for an average of 200-250 animals on a day-to-day basis, with another 60-80 animals in foster homes. More than 3,000 dogs and cats are assisted by Operation Kindness each year. www.operationkindness.org
Imagination Library: Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1996 to benefit the children of her home county in East Tennessee. The organization fosters a love of reading by children and their families by providing them with specially selected, age-appropriate books each month. The program was subsequently expanded to more than 1,600 communities across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and provides books to almost 700,000 children each month. AGS supports this charity with in-kind advertising. www.imaginationlibrary.com
AGS has added two new charities to their expanded program for 2015:
Samaritan’s Purse: Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. www.samaritanspurse.org
Dogs For The Deaf: Dogs for the Deaf, Inc.’s mission is to rescue and professionally train dogs to help people and enhance lives, maintaining a lifelong commitment to all dogs we rescue and all people we serve. Dogs for the Deaf strives to be known throughout North America for rescuing and training dogs to assist people with hearing loss, autism, and other challenges. The number of dogs placed each year matches the resources available to Dogs for the Deaf. www.dogsforthedeaf.org
“Aside from the new charities, we will make a real push through creative giving to help KOA Care Camps achieve their goal of $1.5 million dollars this year,” Schaeffer said, adding, “Since launching our program in February of 2012, we have provided cash and in-kind advertising in excess of $150,000. Our goal this year is to surpass a quarter of a million dollars in both cash and in-kind contributions.”
Based in Crowley, Texas, AGS publishes over two million guest guides (site maps) annually in the U.S .and Canada using environmentally friendly recycled paper and soy-based ink. Texas Advertising Company, Inc. acquired AGS from Good Sam Enterprises LLC in 2011. For more information about AGS, visit its website at www.agspub.com.
Article from: http://www.woodallscm.com/2015/01/ags-cares-program-tops-70k-in-aid/
