As Gaslowitz Frankel continues our charitable giving program to celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary, founding partner Craig Frankel has chosen the Hillside Hospital for his donation.
When I asked Craig to discuss the reasons behind choosing his non-profit, he shared this story.
When I was growing up, my parents volunteered in the community, our synagogue, and political campaigns. They also regularly served on non-profit boards. They taught my siblings and me that as members of society we had a duty to give back. In the Jewish tradition, this is called “taking care of the world.”
I have carried this lesson forward throughout my life, and my wife and I have taught our three children the same lesson. My wife was one of the founders of Hands On Atlanta. I have participated actively in Hands On Atlanta since its inception. And, like my parents before me and their parents before them, I have volunteered throughout the community, in my synagogue, and with political campaigns.
After our second child was born, I had finished my service with a community non-profit, and I was looking for what to do next. At the time, my wife and I lived across the street from Hillside Hospital. We had visited Hillside when we moved in, and we had watched its activities “from the outside.”
After researching Hillside’s mission, we decided to become involved. I joined Hillside’s Board of directors in 1998 and have been active ever since. I served for three years as the Chair of the Board of Directors, and I now serve as the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Hillside provides a continuum of quality psychiatric treatment and education to severely emotionally disturbed children, adolescents, and their families. Hillside has a 13-acre campus in Morningside that houses its Residential Treatment Program, School, and the administrative offices for its Community Intervention and Therapeutic Foster Care Programs.
Hillside’s Residential Treatment Program offers comprehensive residential treatment for children and adolescents whose behaviors and symptoms have not been managed successfully at a lesser level of care or in the community. The program provides structured supervision 24-hours a day in a campus-style setting and provides accredited schooling and medication monitoring. Family involvement is an integral part of the treatment program.
Hillside’s Community Intervention Program provides clinicians and paraprofessionals for intensive, in-home support to children “stepping down” from residential treatment or other out-of-home placements, so that they can return successfully to their home communities.
Hillside’s Therapeutic Foster Care Program was developed to meet the needs of children with emotional and behavioral challenges who cannot live at home, but who do not need intensive residential psychiatric treatment.
I decided to make my 25th anniversary donation to Hillside because I share Hillside’s vision of taking care of our children in need. I have a special bond with Hillside, not only because of my involvement for the past fifteen years, but also because two of my children are also special learners.
Many families have benefitted from wonderful education environments throughout the Atlanta community. I’ve seen how Hillside serves the special needs of its children. Hillside is “taking care of the world” like my parents taught, and I am honored and humbled to be a small part of its mission.
For more information about Hillside, visit:
Hillside Hospital Website
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About the Charitable Giving Project
To mark the firm’s 25th anniversary, Gaslowitz Frankel has decided to give back to the community that has been instrumental in our growth. Our attorneys and staff will choose 25 charities to be the beneficiaries of $500 contributions throughout 2014 calendar year.
To learn more about our charitable giving project and the firm of Gaslowitz Frankel LLC, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
