Our Community

Corporate Central has been working hard stuffing 180 stockings with candy and trinkets to ensure every vet that attends this year’s Christmas with the Vets show will receive one. In addition to the stockings, employees donated articles of clothing and personal necessities as well as cash donations totaling $415. A few Corporate Central staff members will be volunteering at this years’ show to help where needed. Corporate Central has been a proud supporter of this event since 2016.

The Story

Jeff “Doc” Dentice, who served as an Army medic in Vietnam, and his friend Mike Lango, a Vietnam Vet Marine, decided to throw a holiday party for their fellow Veterans on a winter day in 1988. Little did they know that party was the start of something so much bigger. This year, Doc will be hosting the 32nd Annual Christmas with the Vets show.

Corporate Central staff volunteered with Milwaukee Empty Bowls on Sunday, October 13. Milwaukee Empty Bowls is a local, nonprofit organization that creates an annual event bringing together art and charitable giving. Each year, hundreds of professional, amateur, and student artists create and donate one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls. Attendees choose and pay for their own bowl and fill it with soups donated from over 30 area restaurants. All proceeds go directly to local food pantries serving the greater Milwaukee community.

Jeff “Doc” Dentice, who served as an Army medic in Vietnam, and his friend Mike Lango, a Vietnam Vet Marine, decided to throw a holiday party for their fellow Veterans on a winter day in 1988. Little did they know that party was the start of something so much bigger. This year, Doc will be hosting the 32nd Annual Christmas with the Vets show.

 

Corporate Central has been a proud supporter of this event since 2016. In September, staff donated several raffle items for a fundraising event as Doc is gearing up for this year’s Christmas with the Vets show. We hope this will be the most successful year yet!

Corporate Central held an infant loss box drive in conjunction with Addie’s Angels on Earth, an organization that celebrates, remembers, and honors Addison Marie — daughter of one of our Member Services Representatives, Shannon Cate — who was stillborn on June 3, 2016.

One in four pregnancies ends in a loss. Infant loss boxes are provided to parents leaving the hospital with their babies in their hearts, instead of in their arms. Donations included a new camera, angel bears, receiving blankets, stickers, ribbon, and other crafting supplies and were gifted to Aurora Women's Pavilion in West Allis, WI. While one cannot stop the heartache from the loss of a loved one, we can try to ease the pain and suffering and shed light on an otherwise dark subject.

The grand total collected (including Amazon purchases, monetary donations, and physical donations) was $3,0667.47, allowing for the purchase/donation of:

• 1 Cannon camera with a 50mm lens
• 100 angel bears
• 100 blankets
• 100 USB drives
• 100 books
• 108 medium bears
• 100 small bears
• 1 bin of fabric
• 1 bin of ribbon
• 1 bin of construction paper
• 1 storage box of scrap book paper
• 1 storage box of stickers
• 1 storage box of embellishments and accessories
• 13 additional bins to organize and hold other donated supplies

Staff got together to donate non-essential items, such as body wipes, lip balm, tissues, and individually wrapped snacks, to ship to our soldiers. Additionally, our team held a card crafting after-work event to create encouraging messages of support to send along with our donations.

By August 2, all donations had reached troops overseas and were distributed, both on the base, and out in the field.

 

Corporate Central held a donation drive for the Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) in Waukesha, WI. Employees stuffed a kennel full of items and donated $130.

Corporate Central’s “FOTM Warriors” joined the masses by participating in March Madness and hosting an internal bracket with donations benefiting Hebron House of Hospitality. Hebron House provides shelter and services to help individuals and families of Waukesha County overcome their homelessness.

Corporate Central staff joined Educators Credit Union for Reality Check Day for the Milwaukee Public Schools.

Students are given a fictional occupation, salary, spouse and family, student loan debt, credit card debt, and medical insurance payments. They then walk around to various table-top stations to “purchase” housing, transportation, food, clothing, household necessities, daycare, and other needs. Fortunately, the game also includes a “credit union” to help with their financial needs. Volunteers helped with reality check points, passed out packets to participants, worked individual stands/booths, and assisted with other duties to help facilitate the simulation.

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Corporate Central offered staff an optional volunteer day to spend at the Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity ReStore location in Wauwatosa, WI. Staff Participated in a variety of jobs including painting, floor staging and redecorating, donation placement, and other jobs to help improve the store’s aesthetics and functionality.