This is the season where our thoughts turn to making the world a nicer place. While many people discuss December as the biggest shopping month of the year and many retail outlets count this month as their most profitable, this is also the largest month of charitable donations and volunteering. I want to take a moment to write about some of the charities 2Checkout has supported and some of the things we do to give back to our community.

Before I get into what 2Checkout does, I want to relate how important volunteering is to me personally. When I was young, we had a house fire and lost nearly everything the week after Christmas. We were able to stay with family, but everything else was lost. Thanks to the United Way, we were able to get clothes and some food and replace some basics. I remember fondly when Santa Claus visited us again and handed me a few packages to open. It turns out “Santa” was our neighbor, and he and his church took up a collection for my brothers and I to give us some toys. Even though my family was not a member of his congregation, they gave me the best holiday I can remember. From that point on, my parents started volunteering for causes and organizations that were important to them. They instilled in my brothers and I how important it is to give. While we couldn’t always afford to give money, we could always make time to give of ourselves.

2Checkout shares my feelings on giving, in both cash donations as well as volunteerism. Throughout the year from January to December, 2Checkout is doing something charitable, from participation in events like Walk for the Cure to collecting food for The Mid-Ohio FoodBank.

There are, however, a few activities that 2Checkout does that I think are special enough to merit some detail. 2Checkout offers two scholarships for local High School students. One graduating student from London High School who plans to get a degree in a technology-related field is eligible for both a $2,500 USD four-year scholarship and an internship within 2Checkout. This is CEO Alan Homewood’s way of giving back to his local high school. The other scholarship is even more personal. Peers nominate students from North High School in Columbus, Ohio. Rather than a scholarship based solely on grades or fields of interest, this scholarship is awarded based on the intangible qualities that define good character and friendship. The JB Memorial Scholarship is awarded in the memory of a very good friend of Mr. Homewood’s.

Some other ways 2Checkout personalizes the spirit of giving is with our $250 USD annual employee donations. Every year, each employee is given the chance to pick a non-profit organization. The company will then donate $250 USD to that organization for the employee. This allows each of us to pick something that we personally support. Since I have a history of volunteering for smaller local organizations that are often barely able to meet their funding needs, I appreciate that I can give more to these places than I would normally. I plan to write further articles about the various events and organizations as we participate in them. On a purely personal note, I am proud to work for a company that does so much for so many. Happy Holidays!

Following is a list of the various causes 2Checkout has supported this past year:

• Annual donation- each employee can donate $250 USD to the charity (non-profit) of his or her choice.
• Columbus Museum of Art – contributions go towards a variety of events
• Mid-Ohio Foodbank – Annual donation
• American Red Cross – Annual donation
• UNICEF – We intentionally purchase our corporate holiday cards because a portion goes toward the cause.
• Walk for the Cure – We donated $8,250 USD as a company this year
• The Columbus Zoo
• We sponsored the Columbus Foundation at their annual Clambake.
• Epilepsy Foundation