Our contributions to community service bring all of the members of Reed Smith together, and deepen our understanding of the communities in which we earn our livelihood. Below are some examples of activities in which we actively participate.
Habitat for Humanity
In 2003, the Washington office initiated its involvement with Habitat for Humanity, in memory of one of its former partners. Each summer, the office’s summer associates and other attorneys participate in a day of service with Habitat for Humanity, by assisting with construction of a new home in the District.
Helping Adults Learn to Read
Volunteer tutors from our Pittsburgh office help adults learn to read through the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council ("GPLC"). Some of our tutors help native English-speakers to develop Basic Literacy in reading, writing, and math and to master basic computer skills. Another tutor helps foreign-born students learn English as a second language and to adjust to American culture in general. Our volunteers were required to complete 12 hours of training conducted by the GPLC and to commit six months to tutoring students for no fewer than four hours per week. The volunteers meet with their students in libraries, churches or other public facilities.
Hope Charity Work in the United Kingdom
Through its UK offices, the firm is a long-standing supporter of the Hope Charity. In June 2004, a wide cross-section of business and professional people participated in a Hope Charity Walk up Mt. Olympus in Greece, raising money for UK children with learning difficulties. The 50 trekkers raised more than $200,000.
Mentoring Children at Miller Elementary School in Pittsburgh's Hill District
Since 2001, attorneys, paralegals and secretaries from our Pittsburgh office have volunteered to serve as mentors to students at Miller Elementary School in Pittsburgh's Hill District, through a program directed by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh. The volunteers visit the school once a week to work with the students. The central focus is on building personal relationships with the children and on tutoring in academic areas.
Partnering with Elementary School Students
Our Washington office has had a special partnership with Park View Elementary School in Northwest D.C. since 1993. This partnership generates a variety of year-round projects involving attorneys and staff, such as fundraisers and essay contents. Each year the office facilitates a silent auction, for which everyone is invited to contribute items. The funds raised from the auction are donated to Park View for projects such as the purchase of school supplies and to meet other special needs of the students, as well as for the clean up and renovation of the school building and grounds. The most popular project, with kids and Reed Smith alike, is the "Power Lunch" program. Arriving by limousine, the fifth-grade participants in the program receive an office tour and pair up with a Reed Smith attorney or staff. Lunch discussion covers the types of jobs at a law firm and the educational requirements for those jobs. Each student leaves with a "goodie" package containing a journal, a dictionary, writing paper, pens, a book, and a calculator.
Rebuilding Together In Pittsburgh
Every April since 1997, volunteers from our Pittsburgh office have spent one Saturday repairing the house of an elderly or disabled person through a program called Rebuilding Together (formerly Christmas in April). Volunteers from our firm provide the "unskilled" labor and undertake such activities as painting, sanding, cleaning, clearing out trash, yard work and gardening. The skilled labor is provided by local tradespeople—also volunteers—who handle such tasks as roof repair, carpentry, installation of drywall, and electrical work. Volunteers from Reed Smith also make personal financial contributions to cover the cost of the materials used in the repairs. By the end of "Rebuilding Day," the volunteers and our homeowner are astonished and delighted by what can be accomplished in one day.
Reed Smith READS with Philadelphia Kids
Each Thursday at noon, 21 first-grade students from the Meade Elementary School come by bus to our Philadelphia office to read with volunteer tutors from the firm. Tutors and students meet in the lunchroom. The students bring with them several books that they are to read during the session and a sheet listing the books they finish for the tutor to sign. The tutoring program is called PHILADELPHIA READS. It was started by then-Mayor Ed Rendell, and its goal is to ensure that all children read well and independently by the end of the third grade. PHILADELPHIA READS is a collaborative effort with the Philadelphia School District and the Free Library of Philadelphia. Some 40 members of our Philadelphia office have taken part. But time spent with the children is not all work. Every Christmas volunteers decorate the lunchroom and have a holiday party for the children. Local vendors donate pizza, and attorneys, paralegals, clerks and secretaries donate baked goods, juice and pretzels. The children make a gift to bring home to someone special. Santa calls each child's name and gives him or her a bag of gifts that have been donated by clients, lawyers, secretaries, staff and friends. Volunteers from our Philadelphia office held a hot dog sale to raise money to add to the gift bags from Santa. The children received educational toys, activity books, a stuffed animal, goldfish crackers, candy, jumbo sets of Crayola crayons, coloring books, and of course, more books to read. Their teacher received a gift bag and a corsage, and everyone had a good time.
Salvation Army Angel Tree Program
Each December, the Washington office participates in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. The office is assigned approximately 25 children for whom attorneys and staff buy gifts of new clothing and toys for the holidays. For many of these children, these are the only gifts they will receive.
San Francisco AIDSWalk Team
A team of lawyers and staff from Reed Smith’s San Francisco and Oakland offices motivated dozens of people in those two offices to participate in one of the largest annual fundraising events in the Bay Area. Through a series of events running throughout the summer, the team sought and received participation from attorneys and staff at all levels. The team energized the offices and got results, raising more than any other law firm by a wide margin, in an amount competitive with corporate giants like Chevron, the Gap, and Williams Sonoma. They created a public-spirited tradition in one year.
Serving As Mentors to At-Risk Teenagers
Eight attorneys from our Pittsburgh office serve as mentors to students at local high schools through the Career Literacy for African American Youth (CLAAY) mentoring program in partnership with Duquesne University. The CLAAY program provides at-risk teenagers with support, guidance as they explore possible career paths, and exposure to the business and professional world. Volunteers from the Pittsburgh office also hosted 10 students from the CLAAY program on a "Job Shadow Day." Students toured the offices and heard about career opportunities at our firm from employees who serve in a variety of roles within the firm. They even spent part of the morning visiting with a federal court judge in his chambers.
Serving the Homeless in Los Angeles
Union Rescue Mission is one of the oldest and largest facilities in the Los Angeles area taking care of the homeless. It has on-site housing for those trying to get back on their feet; computer educational facilities; and a day care center for the children of on-site mothers who are either in school or working. The Mission feeds, clothes, and gives overnight shelter to the homeless. The Mission also prepares 4,000 boxes for low income families at Christmas (the boxes contain food and toys for the kids), Easter (the boxes contain socks and hygiene products) and Thanksgiving (mostly food for a family meal . . . and more. A supervisor in our Los Angeles office recruits members of the office to donate food, socks, hygiene items, school supplies, and monetary donations to help support the Mission in their efforts to give people a better life.
Serving Pittsburgh's Homeless Women at Bethlehem Haven Women's Shelter
On a Saturday evening, every other month, a Reed Smith Pittsburgh office secretary and an assistant purchase, prepare and serve dinner to the homeless residents of Bethlehem Haven Women's Shelter in Downtown Pittsburgh. Most of the residents at Bethlehem Haven struggle with addictions to drugs and/or alcohol, and when they arrive at the shelter, they are given a home for 60 days with food, shelter and an opportunity to rehabilitate. There is always conversation with the women as they are being served. A couple of times a year, our secretary and assistant purchase gifts to be used as door prizes at the Saturday dinners, and they report that there is much friendly competition among the women for the prizes.
Student Mentor Program at Graham Road Elementary School
Every Tuesday morning at 8:00, volunteer mentors from our Falls Church office meet to work for an hour on a one-on-one basis with students at Graham Road Elementary School. Six of our office personnel work on this program. The students are enrolled at various grade levels, and their needs vary—some strive to improve specific skills such as reading or math, and some just need attention and/or encouragement from an adult. The coordinator at the school or the child's teacher lets the mentors know the areas on which to concentrate and provides materials to use during the hour. After the child picks up his or her breakfast, mentors and students meet in the "family room" at the school, sitting around tables or on sofas. All the students are very enthusiastic and eagerly come to school an hour early for the program. Mentors also arrange a special outing once or twice a year. Last summer, the mentors gathered the kids and some of their siblings for a trip to see a Prince William Cannons game with dinner at the ballpark. In December, mentors and students met for a pizza dinner and a trip to the movies. The mentors also help coordinate book drives and clothing drives in the office and the sale of holiday cards designed by students at the school. Members of our Falls Church office recently set out to provide new backpacks and supplies to all 500 students at the Graham Road Elementary School. The community from which the school draws most of its students includes a large number of recent immigrants, so the number of new students entering the school each year is unusually large. Fundraising took the form of a three-team competition which gripped the office during the summer. Staff, Business & Regulatory, and Litigation teams were pitted against each other in varied activities including athletic challenges (tennis, marathon, and even weightlifting), eBay-styled "ReedBay" auctions, and bake sales. With client contributions, the office raised more than enough funds. Backpacks and supplies were purchased and assembled and then distributed to the children just before the start of the school year.
Supporting Our Men and Women in Uniform
Soldiers Angels is an organization that was formed to allow civilians to "adopt" servicemen or women who want to receive letters from home and have registered with the organization. A supervisor in our Los Angeles office "adopted" a soldier through the organization's website. "Adoptors" are required to write a letter once a week and send a care package once a month. Our supervisor "adopted" a young woman who has been in the Army Reserves for 15 years and is stationed in Kuwait. The soldier is a single mother of three who joined the reserves, never dreaming she would have to go overseas, especially in wartime. Our supervisor says that writing letters and sending care packages to the young woman is the least she can do for her, and that their correspondence has brought more benefits to the supervisor than to the soldier she "adopted."
Teaching Students About Business and Economics Through Junior Achievement Program
Attorneys, paralegals and secretaries from our Pittsburgh office have volunteered to visit local schools to teach students about business and economics through the Junior Achievement program. Our partner Casey Ryan serves on the board of Junior Achievement, and she coordinates the participation of volunteers from the firm. The Pittsburgh office has also hosted a group of local students interested in pursuing legal careers on "Job Shadow Day." The students were matched with a host attorney or paralegal and participated in several law-related events. The students especially enjoyed observing a mock trial, and they gave high marks to the day in general.