Honoree: Neuco Inc. honored its CEO, Bill Neustadt. Neuco is a premier HVACR controls master distributor that offers quality products and superior customer service to wholesale distributors.

Community: Neustadt is chairman of the Board of Directors Executive Committee at Almost Home Kids (AHK). His service goes beyond his leadership role as he has rallied Neuco Inc,’s staff in various efforts to support AHK. AHK provides transitional and respite care for children who are technology dependent and medically complex. The innovative model of care provides a unique service for medically fragile children and their families.

AHK is a short-term community health care facility that provides transitional care in a home-like setting to children with complicated health needs, training for their families and respite care. AHK has two 12-bed locations: 7S721 Route 53, Naperville, Ill. 60540, and 211 E. Grand Avenue, 6th Floor, and Chicago, Ill. 60611.

Three care programs are offered: respite, transitional and respite transportation care. Transition care referrals are accepted from hospital discharge planners, social workers, nurses and physicians.
In addition to the care, AHK provides:

•Support to the family by actively seeking financial assistance
•Training programs for families and health care providers
•Community support — once a child is in the system at AHK, he or she is part of the AHK Family.

Service: Neustadt dressed as a Santa Claus at the 2013 Christmas Party that Neuco sponsored for the children at the AHK Naperville location. In April, Neuco helped sponsor the “A Black & White Affair” at the Esplanade Lakes, in Downers Grove, Ill. The affair was held to help fundraise for the facilities and their programs.

“Our commitment to this organization is born out of our very deep, heartfelt connection to the children and their families, as well as our enthusiastic support of the leadership and staff that deliver these wonderful services at an extremely high level of efficiency and professionalism,” Neustadt said. “When a great mission is delivered through an outstanding business model like Almost Home Kids, we are rightly compelled to grow and bring these services to a vast community across the state and country, a community that is in dire need of our services.”

Neuco also supports the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Julie Neustadt, wife of Neuco Owner Jon Neustadt, suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident in August 2003. In addition, Neuco supports the National Marfan Foundation, as Neuco’s late owner, Joe Neustadt, had Marfan Syndrome.

Jones Stephens

Honoree: The Jones Stephens Good Works Team worked with Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham (Habitat Birmingham) on the 2014 “Home Builders Blitz.” About 15% of Jones Stephens’ workforce helped at the event, on May 2-3. Employees from Jones Stephens’ Alabama location participated, and all departments of the company were represented.

Community: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Birmingham is a non-profit 501(c)3 Christian organization that builds and repairs homes to support the affordable housing and disaster recovery needs of Jefferson, Shelby, Walker and St. Clair counties. Habitat Birmingham finances houses with zero percent mortgages; houses are not given away. Prospective homeowners qualify based on three criteria: (1) a need for quality, affordable housing; (2) a willingness to partner with Habitat Birmingham (minimum 300 “sweat equity” hours and 10 hours of homeownership education workshops); and (3) an ability to repay a no interest mortgage. Habitat Birmingham provides education and repair workshops not only to Habitat Birmingham partner families, but also to the general public at the Habitat Homeowner Workshop Center.

Habitat Birmingham is ranked fourth out of over 1,500 Habitat affiliates in the U.S. by Habitat for Humanity International based on actual service to the community. In 2013, Habitat Birmingham assisted 131 families in the area by providing no-interest mortgages on 47 newly built or rehabilitated houses, completely rebuilding two homes destroyed by recent tornadoes and repairing 82 houses. Since the organization was founded in 1987, Habitat Birmingham has helped over 1,275 families.

The Home Builders Blitz is an exciting house building event in partnership with professional homebuilders, experts in the home building industry, area sponsors and hundreds of volunteers. During the event, quality, affordable houses are simultaneously constructed in one week.

Service: This year, Jones Stephens sponsored the Home Builders Blitz. The event was held in Clay, Ala., right outside of Birmingham. Jones Stephens sponsored the event by donating the plumbing specialties for the 13 homes that were included, as well as volunteering with the construction of the home. During the event, Jones Stephens’ team did everything from framework and insulation to cleaning and installing the vinyl exteriors. Construction was completed this spring.

Jones Stephens also recently participated in the local “Relay for Life” held in May.

Merit Brass Co.

Honoree: Merit Brass created its own charitable outreach program, Merit Cares. Merit Cares has brought Cleveland communities a great deal of support. The Merit Cares teammates are: Teri Tucker (Team Chair), Lisa Katila, Anne Taylor, Dave Robinson and Lynnette Dunker. In 2012, Affiliated Distributors presented Merit Bras with its “PHCP Giving Back Award.”

Community: Merit Brass’ associates take part in an external volunteer program: United Way’s Day of Caring. Merit Cares has helped charities including Bishop Cosgrove, the Merrick House, Hanna’s House, Hospice of Cleveland, Ronald McDonald House, Cleveland Foodbank and more. These efforts bring Merit closer to its community and strengthen its local ties.

Service: The 2013 Day of Caring events were spent at the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland, Inc. Merit Brass sent 37 employees to the house during May, June and July of 2013. The house supports families whose children receive treatment at area medical centers by providing a home-like environment and essential resources and services. Volunteers performed a variety of indoor/outdoor projects, including making and serving meals, painting, landscaping and simple construction.

Merit Brass has been committed to caring since 1937. Today, there are over 200 individuals committed to providing customers with service excellence and communities with the physical and financial support they need to succeed.

Monetary donations have been given to the following charities:

• Adrian Elementary School, Euclid, Ohio (2013)
• World Vision Collection, Okla. (2013)
• Harvest for Hunger (2013)
• Cleveland Animal Protective League (2013)
• One Fund Boston (2013)
• MS Walk (2013)
• Harvest for Hunger (2013)
• The Make a Wish Foundation (2013)
• Building Homes for Heroes (2013)
• Bishop Cosgrove Homeless Shelter Toy Drive (2013)
• Gentiva Hospice Foundation, Atlanta Ga. (2014)

Other donations include:

• 23 cell phones and 15 Gateway PCs to Computers Assisting People
• 11 pairs of glasses to Eyes of Hope
• 77 pounds of pet care items to the Cleveland Animal Protective League
• 148 pounds of food to the Cleveland Food Bank.
• 407 school supply items to Cleveland Kids in Need
• 650 pounds of clothing/toys/blankets to Bishop Cosgrove
• 26 pounds of coupons for soldiers overseas