Our top picks for Giving Tuesday!

By EvaM November 28, 2017

It can be easy for a lot of people to feel “too busy” for philanthropy, between traveling for holidays with family, shopping for gifts, and making endless batches of cookies—but that’s exactly what this season calls for!

As many of us enjoy relaxation and abundance during the holidays, the movement of Giving Tuesday is gaining traction to remind us of the value of service and philanthropy. Started in 2012, it kicks off a season of charity that, in part, aims to encourage the giving of time, resources, and talents and “amplify small acts of kindness.”

At CTS, charity and service are among our core values, and we’d like to highlight some of our favorite charities and causes!


 

 

Easterseals

 

We give 10 percent of the maintenance and support fees from our Vehicle Maintenance Module to Easterseals in support of the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. The NADTC is a multi-partner organization that works from the federal level down to promote and increase access to transit for older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers.

NADTC is a partnership between the Federal Transit Administration, Easterseals, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) with guidance from the Administration for Community Living. One of the guiding principles behind the NADTC is that older adults and people with disabilities of all ages should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities.

Access to transportation is vital to making healthy community living a reality for everyone.


 

 

The Special Olympics

Kris’s favorite way to support the Special Olympics is through fundraisers like the annual Polar Plunge, where individuals and groups can enter costume contests. Here, Cruella De Vil and her “Dalmation” pup prepare to watch the swimmers jump into the frigid Atlantic to raise funds for the organization.

Kris, our Executive Assistant, started working with the North Carolina Special Olympics in 2008 after becoming a special education teacher in Pender County, NC. Founded in 1968, the Special Olympics aims to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Ultimately, Special Olympics aims to create a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people by helping people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities, skills, and success.

“After a couple years, I started working with people with disabilities more in their homes and communities, and I really saw the incredible, positive impact Special Olympics has on these individuals, their families, and our communities,” Kris said. “If you’ve never been to a Special Olympics event, go find one near you. I promise you’ll come away with a happier heart and a more positive outlook on life!”


 

 

Remote Area Medical

Remote Area Medical's dental, vision, and medical clinics across the U.S provide high-quality services at no cost to tens of thousands of patients every year.

 

Eva, our Quality Control specialist, feels strongly about getting healthcare to underserved populations, and Remote Area Medical is one of her favorite charities.  One of its core philosophies is being "part of a larger effort to bring people together to address health care issues in their community and see those communities transformed for a better and healthier future."

Since 1985, RAM founder Stan Brock has guided the organization in its mission to bring free, quality healthcare to those in need. By holding dental, vision, medical, and veterinary clinics here in the U.S. and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief abroad, RAM has reached more than 670,000 patients and provided more than $115 million in healthcare services.

Ram's #GivingTuesday page includes profiles of patients who have been helped by RAM’s services.