By Alex Cohen

We Have Moved!

Last summer we were so happy to announce that we were building a new headquarters for the Foundation and today I am here to tell you that we are only two weeks away from moving in to our new home.  It has been a long year but we have enjoyed watching the construction from start to finish, and we are very excited to call this place our own.

This month’s blog will serve as a thank you to all those who made this possible:

Who would have imagined that when we launched the foundation in 2001 – with a staff of just ME – that today we would find ourselves with a full and growing staff, a strong social media presence and, now, an actual headquarters?  We are now just two weeks away from settling in to our new space, our new home.

When we started the Foundation we never imagined the impact we could have on so many lives. We wanted to give back and help our community but it quickly grew to become something much greater, and none of this would be possible without the hard work of so many.

I would like to start by thanking my extremely generous husband Steven, who has been my biggest supporter and the best partner.  His encouragement and support has allowed me to grow the Foundation slowly and steadily, and he has always been there to offer me sound advice.  His famous words are “my wife doesn’t spend money….she gives it all away!”  Thank you for believing and trusting in me.

The next group I would like to thank is my team, who put up with my crazy working schedule and my even nuttier ideas.  No matter what I come up with, they are up to the challenge and are always successful in its completion.  After all is said and done – they get it, they get me.  My Lyme brain fails me at times, but my team never has.  Thank you for being my “foundation” and keeping me afloat.

Thank you to our architects and designers Ryan Salvatore and Neil Hauck, who brought our vision to life – including a few strange requests, which they happily indulged.  I think they actually enjoyed our quirky sense of humor as we tried to keep them entertained during our long meetings.

And, last but not least, thank you to Greg McGee. I know he cringes every time I make a change or have a new idea, but he has never let me down.  We had a bet that the building would be finished by the end of the summer, but shit happens.  I will still honor that steak dinner because Greg deserves the credit for making all of this happen… Just look at this place!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all and I hope you will visit often – I promise it will brighten your day.

Bless all who enter and leave this building. We hope to inspire you to give more of yourself to serve others, whether it be through your time, talent or treasure- as long as you LOVE THE GIVE!