Tis the Season for Holiday Giving

When asked about the nature of running a business with two offices that are 2,400 miles apart, our response has always been that, thanks to technology, we are able to operate as if we are one office with a really long hallway. And as technology continues to improve, we find more and more unique and meaningful ways to connect with each other. This year for our annual toy drive for charity, we met virtually to collectively donate dozens of toys for children of all ages via the Toys for Tots Virtual Toy Box. It was a special experience to not only donate the toys, but reminisce and share stories with each other about some of our most cherished childhood memories.

In addition to the Yeske Buie initiative, we also participated in the Financial Planning Association of San Francisco’s virtual toy drive, too. Being able to offer support to two causes near and dear to our hearts was a no-brainer!

Wishing you and yours a blessed holiday season!

This year, in addition to participating in our local toy drive, our east coast team volunteered with the Rotary Club of Vienna’s Annual Shelter Children’s Holiday Party at the Vienna Community Center. The goal of the party is to help make the holidays a little extra special for local homeless and at-risk youth. It’s an event that our Operations Manager, Cristin Stinson, has been participating in for years, and it was special to be invited to join her in this year’s initiative. Of the event, Cristin said, “I’ve done a lot of volunteering in my life, and this is one of the most gratifying hours to be a part of.” In addition to participating in the event, Yeske Buie matched Cristin’s personal donation for the project. It always feels good to give, but giving to children in our local area around the holidays? It doesn’t get much more rewarding than that.

After 18 months of working remotely because of the pandemic, our team returned to the office in September and has genuinely enjoyed spending time together again in person. This holiday season, we’ve been intentional about making time to be present and acknowledge everything we have to be grateful for. This has included a catered Thanksgiving meal together, a holiday toy drive, and a special end of year dinner, among other activities. We hope the following photos reflect the joy and gratitude we feel by working together to serve our Clients, and we wish you a very happy holiday season!

This year, Toys for Tots created a virtual toy box to give donors the experience of filling the traditional collection box from a safe distance. Their easy to use system allows you to select toys from a variety of age groups to be donated to children across the country. Our team selected a total of 22 toys including:

• A 30 inch student acoustic guitar
• RC cars and bikes
• Pin ball and other games
• Paint and craft sets
• and more!

We are so grateful to be able to make a donation again this year and continue to uphold this special tradition. Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy holiday season!

San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program

The San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program began in 1949 and has evolved from a few firefighters repairing broken toys and bikes for 15 families to hundreds of firefighters and friends volunteering their time to distribute over thousands of toys to children in need. With wildfires destroying homes in the Northern California area over the past few years, this initiative has become even more special. “The holiday season can be tough for some people, but it’s especially difficult for the victims of the Camp Fire. San Francisco firefighters and Cal Fire are well aware of this, so they’re making sure to them bring smiles,” shares the San Francisco Firefighters website. The photos below show members of our San Francisco team delivering our donations via a quick trip to the Mills Building Lobby where one of the collection barrels appears year after year.

Fairfax County Police Department’s “Santa’s Ride” Toy Drive

A long-time tradition in Fairfax County, VA, the Town of Vienna Police Department collected toys for children in local hospitals as part of the “Santa’s Ride” toy drive. According to an article describing the event, “For 31 years, Santa has been swapping his sled and reindeer for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and police escort in early December to collect toys for children at local hospitals. He and his merry crew will ride into town on Dec. 11-12 to deliver gifts and yuletide spirit at INOVA Children’s Hospital and the Georgetown Hospital Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. So, if you see Santa on a motorcycle, give him a wave and honk your horn….” Inspired by this act of kindness, members of our Vienna, VA team delivered our donations to the Town of Vienna Police Department to be included in this year’s donation. Photos of the toys for donation and the filled donation box at the Vienna Police Department are below.

San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program

According to their website, “The San Francisco Firefighter’s Toy Program is the city’s largest and the nation’s oldest program of its kind. Since 1949, it has evolved from a few firefighters repairing broken toys and bikes for 15 families to, in 2016, 300 firefighters and friends volunteering their time to distribute over 200,000 toys to more than 40,000 disadvantaged children. Dependent solely on donations, the Toy Program places collection barrels at retail establishments, street fairs, Christmas parties and many other functions.” Members of our San Francisco team delivered our donations via a quick trip to the Mills Building Lobby where one of the collection barrels appears year after year. Mila Lavoie, Project Administrator in our San Francisco office, shared the following sentiments about her experience with this year’s toy drive: “I feel so fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to help others who are less fortunate than I. Thank you, Elissa, Dave, Yeske Buie, and all the firefighters who make this toy drive possible!”

Toys for Tots

The Marine Toys for Tots program is dedicated to collecting new unwrapped toys to distribute to children across the country who may not otherwise receive a gift at Christmas. More specifically, the mission of the program is to “bring holiday joy and deliver a message of hope to children.” Since 1947, the program has distributed over 548 million toys to over 250 million children. Collecting and distributing the toys is a collaborative effort as the program depends on local public service departments and businesses to manage the donation process. Our Virginia office team participating in the donation effort by dropping off toys at a local fire station. Last year, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department collected over 11,000 toys thanks to the generosity of the local community; we feel privileged to make a small contribution to this mighty effort.

For Alishia DuBois and Cole DeLucas, participating in Yeske Buie’s holiday giving process was a new experience as they joined the team this June. Reflecting on the experience, Alishia shared, “I am so appreciative to be able to work for a firm that values the gravity of giving back. Imagining the children smiling when they receive these gifts is invaluable.” Cole echoed this sentiment stating, “Being a part of a firm that strongly embodies the true meaning behind giving back to the community is incredible. Selecting and donating a toy for a child in need gave me the opportunity to really imagine the impact we’re having on these kids’ lives and that is a humbling feeling.” And although this is not Yusuf Abugideiri’s first time participating in the toy drive effort, he noted that the impact never seems to fade: “We have so much to be thankful for, and that comes even more clearly into focus around the holidays – I can’t think of a better way to express that gratitude than by trying to brighten a child’s day.”

San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program

According to their website, “The San Francisco Firefighter’s Toy Program is the city’s largest and the nation’s oldest program of its kind. Since 1949, it has evolved from a few firefighters repairing broken toys and bikes for 15 families to, in 2016, 300 firefighters and friends volunteering their time to distribute over 200,000 toys to more than 40,000 disadvantaged children. Dependent solely on donations, the Toy Program places collection barrels at retail establishments, street fairs, Christmas parties and many other functions.” Members of our San Francisco team delivered our donations via a quick trip to the Mills Building Lobby where one of the collection barrels appears year after year. Financial Planning Resident, Ryan Rasmussen, helped hand-deliver the toys to the collection barrel and afterwards, he said of the experience, “It’s fun to imagine the joy my gift will bring to a child who otherwise might not receive a toy during the holiday season.”

The toys donated by the San Francisco team included a Golden State Warriors basketball, Star Wars LEGO set, Play-Doh, a teddy bear, and more. Assistant Financial Planner, Zach Bennedsen, shared the following story when asked why he chose to donate the LEGO set:  “I was a kid when the “prequel” Star Wars movies came out, and I remember how big of a deal they were. I also remember how much fun the LEGO Star Wars sets were – my favorite were the starships, so I decided to choose one from the new movies for the toy drive this year.” Dan Tripp, Financial Planning Resident in our San Francisco office, shared a similar, personal story as to why he chose the toys he donated: “I selected a spinner toy because I saw my nephew using one and it seemed to provide him with a lot of joy.  I picked the cuddly teddy bear because I think every child should have an opportunity to have a special stuffed animal in their lives.”

Fairfax County Police Department’s “Santa’s Ride” Toy Drive

A long-time tradition in Fairfax County, VA, the Town of Vienna Police Department collected toys for children in local hospitals as part of the “Santa’s Ride” toy drive. According to an article describing the event, “Once again this year, Santa will temporarily trade in his sleigh and reindeer for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and police escort. The deliveries will happen at INOVA Children’s Hospital Child – Life Services Center and the Georgetown Hospital Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Toys not given out during Santa’s visit are left with the Child Life programs at each hospital. Those toys are used throughout the year to provide the children something to keep their mind off being in the hospital.” Inspired by this act of kindness, members of our Vienna, VA team delivered our donations to the Town of Vienna Police Department to be included in this year’s donation. After dropping off the toys, Assistant Financial Planner, Ryan Klemm, shared that the toy drive is meaningful to him because, “it feels good to help ensure that a child is going to receive a present during the holiday season. I remember how special it was receiving gifts Christmas morning and I want to share that feeling with others.”