Austin Chamber honors medium sized businesses for giving back to the community

On August 21st, the Austin Chamber hosted the 19th annual Greater Austin Business Awards. With more than 125 nominees across 12 categories, we wanted to share some of the great things each of our honorees are doing. Today, we are focusing on the medium-sized company honorees for the Intel Corporation Community Relations award.

Posted on 08/30/2019 by Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce


Firehouse Animal Health Center

Firehouse Animal Health Centers' charitable giving reflects a commitment to lifelong wellness for animals. For the past seven years, Firehouse has supported the efforts of 12 area pet nonprofits like Austin Pets Alive!, Emancipet, and PAWS. Firehouse offers these organizations free medical care so pets are healthy and ready for adoption. Shelters have access to dental cleanings, X-rays, life-saving surgical procedures and more. This helps shelters animals benefit from the most up-to-date veterinary technology available, as well as the attention and expertise of highly trained Firehouse staff.

Higginbotham

In 2011, in partnership with the North Texas Community Foundation, Higginbotham created the Higginbotham Community Fund to provide monetary support to nonprofits operating in markets where it has offices.The fund is funded entirely by employee pledges and contributions. Grants from the donor-advised fund are distributed to nonprofits selected by an advisory committee comprised of Higginbotham employees. Those who donate to the fund have the opportunity to request grants for their favorite local charities. So, their money is put back into their community. Since inception, the fund has raised $2.59 million, $1.83 million of which has been granted to hundreds of nonprofits.

Wheatsville Food Co-op

Wheatsville is the only grocery co-op in Texas and has been a part of Austin since 1976. Every year during an annual election, Wheatsville owners vote for 11 local non-profit organizations to support during a monthly fundraising drive. The 2019 non-profit organizations are: People's Community Clinic, Central Texas Food Bank, SAFE, Austin Parks Foundation, Austin Pets Alive!, Sustainable Food Center, Hospice Austin. Worker's Defense Project, Meals on Wheels of Central Texas, Urban Roots, and Caritas. In the 12th month, donations are raised for the Wheatsville Co-op Community Fund which supports cooperative development. In 2018, Wheatsville raised $181,393 for local non-profits and are on track to surpass that total in 2019.

Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union

RBFCU provides volunteer staff regularly to Austin Pets Alive!, Coats For Kids, the Austin Police Department's Operation Blue Santa and Central Texas Food Bank. RBFCU volunteers donate hundreds of hours to these organizations and participate in rallies for events like the Komen Race for the Cure in Austin. RBFCU also attracts armed-service personnel who are transitioning from their posts in Central Texas to attend multiple job-placement conferences and workshops from nationally noted agencies and provides no-cost use of its auditorium and all logistics involved in staging these events.

Whim Hospitality

For the past four years, Whim has worked with Marbridge, a non-profit residential community that offers transitional and lifetime care to adults with a range of cognitive disabilities. Whim also has partnered with the Hays-Caldwell Women's Center, a local non-profit that offers support services to victims of family violence, dating violence, sexual assault and child abuse, and Foster Village, an organization that helps children and families in the Austin-area child welfare system, by offering career training and employment opportunities for individuals enrolled in at the HCWC. Whim has also worked with The Refuge, an organization providing a safe sanctuary for minors who have been rescued out of sex trafficking.



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