Applied Trust has always made it a priority to give back to community in which we live, and the past year was no exception. One of the ways in which we accomplished this was by making donations to a set of local charities in the name of our clients and friends for the 2007 holiday season.

The holiday funds were given to four organizations: Environment Colorado, a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization that works toward resolving the state’s top environmental problems; Humane Society of Boulder Valley, which cares for homeless animals and helps them find loving homes; The Children’s Hospital Foundation, which is dedicated to fulfilling the mission of The Children’s Hospital; and Voices for Children, which advocates for and provides services to child victims of abuse and neglect.

“Through its generous donations to Voices For Children CASA, Applied Trust Engineering has helped to provide CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) services to children like Stevie and Ben,” noted Marsha Caplan, Executive Director of Voices for Children. “They are brothers, ages 10 and 7, whose mother left their abusive father only to lose the boys due to her own substance abuse. When they were first placed out of the home, they had to be in two different foster homes. CASA Chris made sure the brothers saw each other every week. Chris talked to the boys’ teachers, therapists, foster parents - everyone involved in their lives - and wrote monthly reports for the Court about how the boys were doing. After several months, both boys were placed in a foster-adopt home. Chris was there to make sure the placement was working well. Chris was also at the adoption ceremony a year later. This story had a happy ending, and CASAs know that, though happy endings are rare, they are making a huge difference in the lives of children.”

In all, Applied Trust donated more than $35,000 in cash and in-kind services to nonprofit organizations in 2007. In addition to the holiday giving program recipients, Applied Trust also made contributions to the Valley Floor Preservation Partners, Rocky Mountain PBS, Best Buddies, Ronald McDonald House, and the MS Society. For more information about Applied Trust’s philanthropic endeavors, please visit our Web site at www.atrust.com/philanthropy.