Company Giving

As community development consultants, we often witness first-hand the great need in our small communities, and the very nature of our work prompts us to get involved. Our corporate giving philosophy at Thoma Development has always been one of giving back to the community in which we live and work. We are an organization of civic-minded, philanthropic-spirited individuals. Encouraged and led by Bernie Thoma, our staff supports and participates in numerous and varied community organizations on an individual basis. As a group, we have been involved with various charitable endeavors over the years, including the United Way's Annual Day of Giving in which our staff spent a day painting the interior of a local charity's facility and sealing their driveway. Most recently, we embarked on a new direction for corporate giving.

In January of 2003, we decided to focus our efforts on one not-for-profit agency each year in an effort to maximize the impact of our resources. The first beneficiary of this new philosophy is the Food Pantry operated by Catholic Charities of Cortland County. With the area's unemployment up, food costs escalating, charitable giving on the decline, and not-for-profits' budgets stretched thinner than ever, the need to restock the Food Pantry and provide volunteer assistance is greater than ever. We coordinated a food drive within the Company, our contractors, and customers, delivering over 400 cans, boxes, and jars of non-perishable food items to the Food Pantry. Bernie Thoma presented a check on behalf of the Company to purchase perishable items such as milk, cheese, eggs, and meat. During the summer of 2003, our staff also volunteered each week in the city parks as part of the Summer Lunch Bunch Program that feeds needy, school-aged children. Assistance with grant proposals and the Food Pantry's Holiday Basket Project will also be provided.

Through the adoption of this new philosophy, we hope to establish a "pay-it-forward" attitude in our community, encouraging those who can to share their good fortune with others.