The Thea Bowman Center is a community of neighbors, volunteers and friends of the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio.

The Center originated in 1966 as a Hunger Center. In 2001, the Center became a charitable organization, with the mission to affirm the spirit, engage the mind, and nurture the body with hope to, children, families and elderly.

We partnered with the Thea Bowman Center by sponsoring employee participation in the Center’s annual fundraising dinner. And in 2017, we were privileged to host the Thea Bowman Music Group as fellows and entertainers at our annual Christmas Party.

Hattie Larlham in Mantua, Ohio, creates opportunities for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Prompted by an employee suggestion, we partnered with another local manufacturer to brighten the lives of the Hattie Larlham residents. Gifts for each resident were purchased by employees of both facilities and everyday necessities were collected. One employee even baked cookies for the staff to enjoy. The spirit of compassion for these residents far exceeded anything that we’ve experienced and brought employees closer together.

Causing about $125 billion in damage, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston, Texas, area in August of 2017, ranking as the second-most costly hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1900. An estimated 13 million people were affected, nearly 135,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the historic flooding, and up to a million cars were wrecked.

When Harry Smith learned from Jeff Applegate—owner of Texas Injection Molding in Houston— that several company employees had suffered losses, he shared the need with our employees. We created a “Giving Tree,” and donations were immediate. As we reached out to a grateful family in need 1,000 miles away, we recognized that the spirit of giving and the grace of receiving are mutually dependent components of human fulfillment.