In the Spirit of the Season

By Melissa Hoffmann Lajara

It’s a present that doesn’t need to be wrapped in expensive paper or tied with a bow. It often doesn’t cost a thing. And in giving this gift, you automatically get something in return.

It’s charity. And throughout the state, NYSSCPA chapters and leaders are donating their time and energy to good causes.

“I believe it is our responsibility as members of a family, a church, a community or a profession to give back as much, if not more, than we receive. We were not intended to go through life with a catcher’s mitt, receiving all life has to give but never offering anything in return,” said Cheryl Lynn Yawman, Rochester Chapter president. “In the end, I always find that what you receive in return is far more valuable and rewarding than you ever imagine.”

Giving takes a number of forms. For some, like Yawman, volunteering time on nonprofit boards, or in local churches and schools, is a way of giving year-round.

For David G. Friehling, Rockland Chapter president, it’s using his skills as a CPA.

“I donate time to the United Way to assist as a tax expert with their volunteer income tax filing program for low-income individuals,” he said.

NYSSCPA members also have the opportunity to use their professional experience by joining CPAs on Board, a Society program that pairs volunteer CPAs with various nonprofit boards of directors throughout New York state to aide nonprofits in improving their financial integrity levels. To find more information on CPAs on Board, visit the Society Website at http://www.nysscpa.org/cpasonboards/main.htm#guidelines.

Society members volunteer for charities that do deal specifically with the profession.

Some members volunteer outside of the profession. For some, it takes the form of giving blood. Spending a day bonding with a senior citizen. Volunteering at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister. Singing carols at a nursing home. The possibilities are virtually endless.

As are the rewards, said F. Michael Zovistoski, president of the Northeast Chapter, who said he is now enjoying the reward of seeing his children give back.

“My wife and I receive the greatest joy from teaching our children about lifetime giving and watching them develop their own methods of giving back to the community,” he said. “Our oldest now lives in Washington, D.C., and could not make it home for Thanksgiving. We were pleased to hear that he spent the day serving Thanksgiving meals to the homeless at a shelter. My 18-year-old son never passes up an opportunity to donate blood or work with young children. He gets the biggest charge out of thinking how his blood is saving lives.”

What is most important, Zovitoski said, is remembering that “charitable giving is a lifetime event,” not something restricted to the holiday season.

Society work is volunteer work. But even when chapter members aren’t advocating for CPAs throughout the state, they’re also volunteering for charitable causes that benefit their local communities. For example, the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter recently participated in the annual New York Cares day-long event, in which volunteers paint and revitalize a New York City public school. In October, the Westchester Chapter’s Young CPAs participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Light the Night Walk” in White Plains. The Rockland Chapter raised more than $2,000 recently to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Several chapters give scholarships to students with financial need.

But as the holidays approach, opportunities for giving grow. From the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program to a holiday Meals on Wheels, there are more ways to enjoy the gift that is giving.

“Just as long as you start somewhere,” Yawman said.

Toys for Tots, a Marine Corps program that provides toys to needy children, is a favorite of many Society chapters. The program, which began with one couple’s generous spirit in 1947, delivers new toys to thousands of needy children each year.

“There is a tremendous sense of community that is shared by chapter members, their firms and contacts by participating in this wonderful event,” said Cynthia Finn, president of the Suffolk Chapter. “The goal of the … program is ‘to deliver—through a shiny new toy at Christmas—a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.’”

The Suffolk Chapter started its Toys for Tots drive 13 years ago “and it has grown in donations from approximately 300 toys to almost 4,000 toys over the years,” said Finn, who organized the chapter’s first Toys for Tots event in 1995 as a young CPA and has led the effort each year since then. “This event is definitely close to my heart,” she said.