BY LAUREN HENNESSY | “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” — Woodrow Wilson
To some, this quote from the former president may seem too ambitious and idealistic to implement. For the volunteers at Greenwich House, it is true inspiration.
Each individual who volunteers with Greenwich House provides a valuable service in line with the “finer spirit” Wilson idealizes. One such volunteer, Lisa Uribe, co-chairperson of the Greenwich House Advisory Council, has been a spirited leader and visionary in service to the community, encouraging colleagues, friends and family to join forces in direct service at Greenwich House.
Uribe first came to Greenwich House through a request by a Morgan Stanley colleague for volunteers to assist with a fundraising event. A longtime supporter of Greenwich House, Morgan Stanley proudly encourages its employees to deliver community service around the world.
“Greenwich House plays an important role in making its community a better place,” Uribe said. “It is a privilege to work with an organization filled with such dedicated staff and committed volunteers.”
Since then, she has worked every year to rally new colleagues to join her, and Greenwich House has been the fortunate recipient of hours upon hours of dedicated Morgan Stanley volunteer commitment. More than 200 employees served Greenwich House this past year alone. At two of Greenwich House’s major fundraising events, the 2012 Arts Benefit and the 10th annual “A Taste of Greenwich House,” volunteers were crucial contributors to each event’s success: helping restaurants set up, working as bartenders, handing out goody bags, managing coat check and helping with cleanup. Others contributed to the holiday gift drive that Morgan Stanley coordinates each year to give gifts to Greenwich House seniors and youth.
“As a funder for more than 10 years, Morgan Stanley is proud to be able to commit both our employees’ talents and financial resources to help increase the impact of Greenwich House,” said Joan Steinberg, managing director and global head of philanthropy for Morgan Stanley.”
The culture of philanthropy, like the one that Morgan Stanley encourages, not only provides opportunities for employees to give back in their communities, but also remains critical to the overall impact of the company. June marks the firm’s seventh annual Global Volunteer Month campaign, where more than 60,000 employees worldwide join together to deliver thousands of hours of volunteer service.
As part of this effort, Morgan Stanley employees will participate in two volunteer projects with Greenwich House, including a field trip with one of its senior centers to the Whitney Museum of Art and a summer dessert party with seniors at Greenwich House’s Senior Center on the Square. These direct contributions help to bolster community spirit, as well as the potential that Greenwich House can reach. Greenwich House salutes these valuable volunteers that better our community.
