Butzel Long Charitable Trust donates year-round to metro Detroit community

2020 funding ranged from a backpack giveaway at a Detroit elementary school to supporting the arts

DETROIT, Mich. – Throughout the year, Butzel Long law firm supports many local organizations, charities, and community activities in an effort to give back to the City that it has been located in for more than 160 years.

“2020 has been, for many, one of the most challenging years in memory,” said Paul Mersino, attorney and shareholder at Butzel Long and Trustee of its Charitable Trust. “All of us have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic toll it has taken on our city, our region, and our country. Many people lost their jobs, companies have been pushed to the brink, and those who were already without felt even more pain as it was harder for them to get the help that they needed. People have lost loved ones and we all felt farther apart from one another.

“It is during times such as this that the need to give back to our community and those in need is even more important than ever,” he said. “In its 166^th year, Butzel Long continues to partner with those in our communities who need the most help or those can most help us give back.”

Below are only some of the ways that the Butzel Long Charitable Trust has helped the community in 2020:

• Backpack Giveaway – For the third straight year, Butzel Long surprised students at a Detroit elementary school with backpacks and supplies. Butzel Long gave away nearly 500 backpacks and supplies to students at Pulaski Elementary School on Detroit’s east side. Studies show that when school children have the supplies they need for a school year, they are more likely to succeed in school.
• Make-A-Wish – In early 2020, Butzel Long partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to make a wish come true for a young girl with a life-long disability. The child has spent much of her life in and out of hospitals. Her dream was to visit Walt Disney World.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank – Through a contribution to Gleaners Community Food Bank, Butzel Long sponsored more than 15,000 meals to be given away to those most in need.
• Lighthouse of Southeast Michigan – Butzel Long contributed to Lighthouse’s COVID-19 Emergency Food and Shelter Fund. Through this fund, Lighthouse is able to work with other organizations to provide emergency food distribution, emergency shelter, and other efforts to ensure that no person goes hungry or without a roof over their head during this community crisis.
• Salvation Army – The Butzel Long Charitable Trust partnered with the Salvation Army to feed our City’s hungry. Butzel Long was able to provide enough food for 29 families of four for an entire week.
• Vincent de Paul Detroit – Butzel Long has been a longtime supporter of St. Vincent de Paul. The firm had budgeted to sponsor several scholarships for students to attend St. Vincent de Paul Detroit summer camps. With the COVID-19 crisis, funds went to stocking food pantries and assisting those in need.
• Detroit Promise – This scholarship ensures all eligible Detroit residents have a tuition-free path to college. Every student who registers and meets the academic requirements will receive funding. The Butzel Long Charitable Trust has committed to assisting this endeavor.
• Rosa Parks Scholars college scholarship – Butzel Long continues its long-standing sponsorship of the Rosa Parks Scholars college scholarship. The scholarship grants high school seniors a one-time $2,000 award in the name of the late civil rights leader and Detroit resident.
• Vista Maria – This organization helps to provide healing and hope to hundreds of women and children who have suffered the effects of abuse, neglect and trauma. Butzel Long has donated to Vista Maria’s important cause to help it sustain its mission.
• Turning Point Shelter – Butzel Long teamed up with other organizations across the region to assist Turning Point Shelter, an organization that provides resources for sexual assault and domestic abuse survivors. Turning Point sought to fully furnish10 apartments for temporary housing for survivors and their families to stay.
• Miracle League – The Butzel Long Charitable Trust is a proud sponsor of the Miracle League, which removes barriers that keep children with mental and physical disabilities off a baseball field and lets them experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime. Miracle League teams play on a custom-designed rubberized turf field that accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices while helping to prevent injuries.
• Urban Hockey League – Butzel Long has paired up with the Urban Hockey League and Clark Park Hockey Organization. Clark Park is the only NHL size outdoor hockey rink in the city of Detroit. The park and the league increase exposure for families and players in Detroit to the sport of hockey, while providing a safe and affordable place to play.
• Focus: HOPE Adopt-a-Family Christmas – Through the generosity of firm employees and the Butzel Long Charitable Trust, Butzel Long adopts a family each year and purchases gifts for those in need.
• Pope Francis Warming Center – The Butzel Long Charitable Trust has been a frequent sponsor of the Pope Francis Center’s Annual Gala. Due to this year’s crisis, the trust sent $2,500 to the center to assist in its efforts to offer a warming center, daily meals, social services and more all in downtown Detroit. In addition to monetary support, Butzel Long also participates in a Legal Services Clinic offering free advice to those in need.
• Detroit Chamber Winds ad Strings’ Holiday Brass Concert 2020 – Butzel Long is a proud sponsor of the arts in metro Detroit. Notably, the firm has sponsored the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings’ Holiday Concert for more than two decades. The December 12 virtual program featured 10 brass players, Kirk in the Hills and Stoney Creek High School choirs.