Tag: INOcares

When A Cause Hits So Close To Home - INO Cares March 2015

Posted on by lindsay

Personally, I am so excited for our INO Cares campaign this month. I was asked to select my favorite non-profit and this decision took less than 1/1000th of a second - The National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Last year at only 27, my little sister, Casey Thompson, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It started with tingling in her hands and feet. Then the fatigue and dizziness set it. She knew something was wrong, but Multiple Sclerosis wasn't even on her radar. After more severe symptoms appeared, doctors suspected MS and Casey was in and out of the National Institute of Health meeting with some of the world's best Neurologists and MS specialists. She was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) which is characterized as clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function.

Walk MS: MarylandMy sister, who is an athletic trainer and concussion care specialist, has always been an active person with an interest in physical fitness. So, having a disease like MS is particularly difficult. Not only does she have to power through times of severe fatigue, decrease in cognitive function and general pain, but she also has the emotional ups and downs that come with the unknowns of a life with MS. Continue reading "When A Cause Hits So Close To Home - INO Cares March 2015" →

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - INO Cares

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We are so happy to kick off the second year of our INO Cares campaign! Last year, we made donations to 15 nonprofit organizations and our employees got into the action - repairing houses, feeding the hungry, cycling and running to raise awareness for their favorite causes. What amazing experiences we had and we know that 2015 is going to be even more incredible.

This year, I thought it was important to ask our employees to nominate charities and organizations that were close to their hearts. We hope that you'll enjoy meeting some of our employees, hearing their stories and learning about some fantastic nonprofit organization in our area, the United States and throughout the world.

Diane Phillips is our Director of Operations here at INO.com. Diane is a mother of 2 and a grandmother to 7. Her grandchildren are her world and she always has a story to share about her little cuties with her fellow colleagues.

Given her love for children, Diane wanted INO Cares to give to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for January!

St. Jude is a not-for-profit hospital that provides treatment to children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases and boasts one of the highest survival rates for some of the most aggressive pediatric cancers. Patients at St. Jude and their families will not receive bills for treatment, travel, housing or food due to the charity of individuals who cover their $2 million per day operating cost.

We are proud to make St. Jude Children's Research Hospital our INO Cares January recipient!

If you know of a charity or organization that could use some help, please share it with me. We'd love to help support organizations that our blog visitors are passionate about as well!

Best,

Lindsay Bittinger
INO.com, Inc.

Operation Christmas Child - INO Cares

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How do you pack an enormous amount of love and joy into something as small as a shoebox? It hasn't been difficult for INO.com and the Duffey Memorial Methodist Church Youth Group in Moorefield, West Virginia.

Operation Christmas Child Packing PartyThis is the second year that INO.com has funded a major portion of this holiday project for this amazing group of kids. Read about their packing party last year. This year, they managed to pack and deliver 143 boxes to the Operation Christmas Child organization!

Operation Christmas Child, an organization centered in the Christian faith, will deliver these boxes, packed with love and basic necessities, to impoverished children in more than 100 countries around the world. This is a program that anyone can participate in. If you pack 1 box or 100, you will make a special child smile... there is probably no better gift that you will receive this holiday season.

We are happy to help this youth group deliver love all across the world!

Warm holiday wishes,

Lindsay Bittinger
The INO Cares Team

Miriam's Kitchen - INO Cares

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On Thursday, November 13th, a small group of INO.com employees left the office early and headed down to Washington, D.C. We donned aprons and hats and got to work at Miriam's Kitchen. The chef and sou chefs efficiently directed our team. We helped create a delicious meal for over 140 men and women of the chronically homeless community.

When the doors opened and our guests arrived, we lined the window and served our guests their dinner. Our guests shared many thank-yous and grateful smiles as they accepted their trays. The gratitude was contagious!

After we finished serving dinner and cleaned the kitchen, members of the INO Team gushed about the experience. One of the first question they asked me was, "when can we do this again?" It was a wonderful evening and an organization which we will continue to support!

There are over 7,000 homeless individuals in Washington, D.C., 1,764 of which are chronically homeless. Miriam's Kitchen is committed to ending homelessness in D.C. by establishing meaningful relationships with chronically homeless individuals, connecting them with permanent supportive housing, and ensuring they have the necessary support to remain in housing.

Miriam's Kitchen serves breakfast and dinner to 200-300 people each day, 365 days a year. They also provide mental health services, medical services, legal services, therapeutic resources, clothing and toiletries and housing assistance. To learn more about Miriam's Kitchen or how you can help, please visit www.miriamskitchen.org.

Best,

Lindsay Bittinger
The INO Cares Team

CF Cycle for Life - INO Cares

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It was a beautiful morning! Although chilly and very windy, it was still a great day for a bike ride. We bundled up, broke out the spandex and jumped on our bicycles to participate in the Cystic Fibrosis Ride for Life at Herrington Harbour in North Beach, Maryland. Our November INO Cares project was a great success. We helped the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raise over $40K and we had two newbie cyclists each finish a 20 and 40 mile race! Family and friends came to cheer on our riders and join us for a great after-party.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a fantastic organization that funds research in hopes of finding a cure to this fatal genetic disorder. Learn more about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the nationwide Cycle For Life events.

Best,

Lindsay Bittinger
The INO Cares Team