Community
Zarwin, Baum, DeVito, Kaplan, Schaer, & Toddy, P. C. is dedicated to serving the community through charitable and philanthropic activities. For 60 years, the Firm and its members have contributed their time, energy, and economic resources to improve the community and quality of life of its residents. At Zarwin Baum, we believe it’s our civic responsibility to give back to the community that gives so much to us. We have created several philanthropic events and participate in charitable endeavors each year, most notably, with the following organizations:
Philabundance
Philabundance is the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger-relief organization, acquiring, rescuing, and distributing food to 90,000 people weekly in 9 counties in PA and NJ. The mission of Philabundance is to drive hunger from the communities today and ultimately end hunger forever. Ending hunger forever requires collaboration, and Philabundance brings corporations, foundations, individuals, and the government together to join the fight and break the cycle of poverty.
Zarwin Baum team members have volunteered at the Philabundance headquarters for food packaging days, where they sort food and bundle it for distribution to local food centers. Additionally, instead of sending holiday gifts to clients, the Firm donates to Philabudance on behalf of its clients.
Our largest fundraiser for Philabundance is our signature “March Madness” event. The Firm created this event 18 years ago to bring clients and friends together to network and watch the opening of the NCAA March Madness tournament. This highly anticipated event has grown significantly, hosting 2,500 people throughout the day, and since adding the charitable component in 2010, the Firm has raised over $300,000 for Philabundance.
Ronald McDonald House Charities, Philadelphia Region (RMHC)
Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) of the Philadelphia Region supports families of seriously ill children by creating a community of comfort and hope. Two of the Ronald McDonald House® programs provide temporary lodging, transportation, meals, and social services to families who travel to Philadelphia for pediatric care. The organization has three Ronald McDonald Family Room® programs that extend the RMHC Houses’ support into the hospital setting and offer a quiet respite space for families at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The Ronald McDonald Camp is a week-long overnight camp for children with cancer and their siblings held in the Pocono Mountains every August. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, operated in partnership with St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, provides comprehensive and continuous oral healthcare to children in North Philadelphia.
Zarwin Baum is one of the founders of the RMHC’s Philalympics fundraising event, which has occurred annually since 2012. The Philalympics is a corporate challenge where local companies compete in Philly-themed games—like adult tricycle races, inflatable obstacle courses, trivia, and more—all to be crowned the ‘phunnest’ team in Philadelphia. This event gives teams of 15 individuals the unique opportunity to play on the floor of the Wells Fargo Center and encourages team-building and networking, all while raising crucial funds for our seven RMHC of the Philadelphia Region programs.
Additionally, the Firm regularly hosts “Guest Chef Nights,” where Zarwin Baum employees prepare dinner for the RMHC hosted families and create “Meals-to-Go” for the guests staying at local hotels.
S. Weir Mitchell Elementary School
The S. Weir Mitchell School’s goal is to sustain a safe learning environment that promotes collaboration and partnerships with parents, students, staff, and community members that will encourage the growth of high performing, well rounded, intellectual, lifelong learners that will be able to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Knowing many Philadelphia public schools lack the proper resources for student success, in 2014, seeing a need that it could help fulfill, Zarwin Baum adopted Mitchell Elementary. Since that time, the Firm has provided ongoing support through quarterly fundraising and the donation of school necessities, including refurbished computers, printers, tables, bookcases, school supplies, and upgraded technology.
Employees from the Firm have also volunteered their time to beautify the Mitchell Elementary environment by painting parts of the school and cleaning up the playground.
The Legacy Foundation
The Legacy Foundation operates more than 70 programs across 16 counties in New Jersey and Philadelphia, serving more than 16,000 individuals a year. It offers a full continuum of services, including prevention programs, crisis intervention, outpatient therapy and psychiatric services, substance abuse services, therapeutic foster care, residential programs, juvenile detention alternatives, special education schooling, case management, and developmental disability services.
Each year, Zarwin Baum sponsors a hole at “The Legacy Golf Classic” to help further Legacy’s mission of “changing the behavioral health and social service outcomes for people of all ages from “surviving to thriving.” In addition to sponsoring the event, many of Zarwin Baum’s attorneys participate in the event, whether they are a novice or ace at the game!
Fresh Smiles
The mission of Fresh Smiles is to foster the physical, emotional, and academic development of children whose lives have been adversely impacted by financial roadblocks beyond their control. The foundation supports children who have a passion, unique talent, skill, or interest and provides grants to those children to help them reach their goals and have the opportunity to continue their interest positively and professionally in the future. Gary DeVito, a Director at Zarwin Baum, co-founded Fresh Smiles in 2010 with four of his colleagues who shared the goal of helping children in the Delaware Valley follow their dreams.
BLOCS
BLOCS is the premier needs-based scholarship organization in the Philadelphia region, providing students with a high degree of success in Catholic schools. For forty years, BLOCS has been committed to giving low-income families access to high-quality, values-based education in Catholic schools. BLOCS currently provides more than 16,000 needs-based scholarships a year to deserving children; however, the need is four times greater. The organization seeks to partner with area businesses and individuals who see the value of investing in local children to create a better, brighter future.
Gary DeVito, a Director at Zarwin Baum, is a BLOCS board member and serves on the executive committee. Zarwin Baum is an annual contributor to BLOCS and a member of a BLOCS Scholarship LLC(“LLC”). As the largest and highest regarded scholarship organization in the state, BLOCS manages a sizable number of special purpose entities (or LLC’s) through the PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED)’s Tax Credit program. Through this program, the Firm redirects its state tax liability to fund scholarships for students and families in need living in the Philadelphia region and across the state of PA.
Go Red for Women
The American Heart Association created Go Red for Women, a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health. Go Red for Women encourages awareness of women and heart disease and action to save more lives. The movement harnesses the energy, passion, and power women must band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their risk. It also gives them the tools they need to lead a heart-healthy life. Every February, Zarwin Baum focuses the month on heart health and raises money to support the initiatives of Go Red for Women. The Firm matches all the funds raised by Zarwin Baum employees.
Charity Denim Days
Twice per month, the Firm hosts a “Charity Denim Day” to support an organization that is near and dear to a Zarwin Baum employee’s heart. An employee recommends an organization, and on the first and third Friday of each month, all employees will donate and wear jeans to the office. The Firm matches all donations that the employees raise and contribute to the selected charity of the month.
In addition to the initiatives listed above, the Firm supports pro bono activities. Many of its attorneys serve as officers, board, and committee members for leading community organizations across the region. In addition to the Firm’s commitment to the community, its employees are actively engaged at an individual level in professional, civic, and charitable activities.