Michael Best & Friedrich LLP | Our Commitment |



MICHAEL BEST EMPLOYEES GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Background Michael Best’s commitment to give back to the communities in which we live and work is integral to the firm’s culture and identity. We have long since participated in community outreach through sponsorships, donations, board membership, pro bono, and other activities. But, there is always room to do more. With that in mind, we have developed an internal program designed to increase the level of volunteerism and participation in other activities that aid in strengthening our communities among the firm’s staff and attorneys.
2011 Calendar of Events
	GREETING CARD COLLECTION To kick off 2011, Michael Best employees donated used greeting cards. Children and volunteers of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children created new cards by assembling the fronts of the donated cards and attaching a new back.


VALENTINES CARD CREATIONS Michael Best employees donated their time, craft supplies and creativity to brighten several lonely senior citizens’ days! Valentine’s Day cards were created for Interfaith Milwaukee Older Adult Neighborhood Outreach Program. The handmade, personalized cards were sent to homebound seniors, who received warm wishes and kind sentiments just in time for Valentine’s Day.

	COFFEE MUG COLLECTION Spring cleaning began in March at Michael Best offices with sorting through the cupboards in all the copy and coffee rooms. We donated all unclaimed coffee mugs to The Gathering, a non-profit organization that serves the hungry in downtown Milwaukee.


	JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT For April’s Catch the Bug initiative, a group of Senior Administrators from Michael Best participated in "JA in a Day." Through the Junior Achievement ("JA") program, our employees volunteered their time to teach a full day’s lesson plan at a Milwaukee Public School. The Michael Best team taught kindergarten through fifth grade classes at Neeskara Elementary School.

		In May, Michael Best donated 10 desktop computers to a Milwaukee Public School. For the past three years, volunteers from Michael Best contributed their time to serve the teachers and students at Neeskara Elementary. Through the years of serving, these volunteers have gained a deeper appreciation level for the teachers at Neeskara Elementary. In the donation of computers, Michael Best hopes to aid not only the teachers but also aid the student’s with the proper tools they need for their successful futures.

	THE CHANNEL 10 GREAT TV AUCTION Michael Best employees volunteered at Channel 10 Great TV Auction, the primary fund-raising event for Milwaukee Public Television ("MPTV"). Our volunteers manned the phone banks, worked the pit area and helped out with the pick-up and delivery of auction items April 29-May 7. Michael Best is proud to support fundraising efforts that help MPTV maintain equipment and keep quality programming on the air.


FLOWER POT BIRTHDAY CARDS Michael Best employees assembled flower-pot-birthday-cards for the nursing home residents of The Allis Care Center. Assembly of the cards included creating flowers from fabric and then "planting" them into a small flower pot. In addition to the creation of flower-pot-birthday-cards, throughout the month of June Michael Best employees collected items for the Allis Care Center residents' bingo and country auction.

		YMCA BACKPACK DISTRIBUTION On Wednesday, August 17th at the YMCA in Brown Deer, Michael Best employees handed out backpacks to school-aged children who attended the local health fair. The children were also given the opportunity to decorate their new backpacks with glitter, paints, and other crafts.

	SHOES FOR AFRICA During the month of September, Michael Best collected new and gently used shoes (toddler to adult size 9) for the Shoes for Africa organization. It is estimated that over one billion pairs of unworn shoes are taking up space in U.S. basements and closets. Some are outdated or outgrown but many of them are in good condition and considered a treasure in a third world country. Our employees generously donated 395 pairs of shoes, which the organization can provide to children ages 0-15 who live "barefoot" lives.


UNITED WAY SILENT AUCTION Michael Best hosted a silent auction benefiting United Way. Employees had the opportunity to bid on more than 50 unique items, in addition to a gallery of intriguing wines. Our United Way Silent Auction raised over $2,500 and all proceeds benefited the United Way.

	SHARE THE WARMTH Since 2009, several of our employees have been knitting and crocheting hats, scarves and mittens made from recycled sweaters. This year we offered these items for sale. Profits from the sale, along with items not purchased, were donated to The Sojourner Family Peace Center and Meta House. Michael Best delivered four boxes of items and over $200 to The Sojourner Family Peace Center. Meta House received four boxes and over $100.
		HUNGER TASK FORCE Cans of mandarin oranges were collected during Michael Best’s pre-Thanksgiving food drive for the Hunger Task Force’s Holiday Bins. The gathering of food and cash donations continued throughout the holiday season. Donations were given to local families in need.