Community Involvement
Giving Back the 5LINX® Way
5LINX® is proud to sponsor philanthropic endeavors and join generous organizations as they “give back” to the communities we live and work in.
New York Says Thank You Foundation
A Wonderful Organization
A Message from the President
Dear Friends,
I am writing to ask you to help me support a great cause. A good friend of mine, Jeff Parness, started a foundation after 9/11 called The New York Says Thank You Foundation. After personally witnessing not only the tragedy of 9/11, but also the remarkable outpouring of support from people all over the United States, Jeff wanted to pay this generosity forward. Each year on the 9/11 Anniversary, New York Says Thank You brings a group of NYC firefighters, friends and other caring people to the site of a recent catastrophic event to help rebuild a home, church or community center. 5LINX and I have been involved with Jeff’s work for the past several years and I have watched as he keeps expanding the effort to perform more acts of kindness.
This year’s program touches a special chord for us at 5LINX. The New York Says Thank You Foundation is traveling to Texas to rebuild the home of a wonderful family who care for Disabled Veterans that are not supported by traditional options. The home, which was not insured, was completely destroyed by a tornado. Please read the attached write up.
5LINX is donating $2,500 to the project and we are asking our employees and 5LINX representatives, over 20,000 of them, to each donate just $5 to the cause. This money will help fund the current project and will also help Jeff firmly establish The New York Says Thank You Foundation so that it can continue its good work long into the future.
The foundation has completed a number of wonderful projects and does it on a bare bones budget, there is no paid staff, no executive drawing a big paycheck, just money to pay for airfares, tools, and supplies to help rebuild. I hope you can join me in helping Jeff and New York Says Thank You in paying forward the great generosity our country showed following 9-11. You may click on the link below to make an immediate donation and get more insight into the foundation. Maybe you’ll even want to join us on the trip this year. It will take place September 6–9, 2007 in Groesbeck, Texas.
To make an online donation to support this effort right now, please click here and make sure to enter “In honor of 5LINX” in the gray box at the bottom of the donations page, that way we can help Jeff track the sources of funds. Please make your donations by September 1, 2007.
Warm Regards,
Craig Jerabeck
President & CEO
A Letter from Jeff
This 9/11 Anniversary help a New York City firefighter say “Thank You” by helping other Americans to rebuild after disaster.
Dear Friends,
By clicking here, you can make an instant impact on the lives of the Vincent Family of Groesbeck, Texas.
As you know, each year on the 9/11 Anniversary, The New York Says Thank You Foundation sends New York City firefighters (including survivors of the World Trade Center) along with other volunteers from New York to help rebuild communities around the country affected by disaster. It's our way of saying “Thank You” for all the love and support Americans from across the country gave to New Yorkers in the days, weeks, and months following September 11.
This year on the upcoming sixth Anniversary of 9/11, we are going to help rebuild the Central Texas home of an extraordinary American family. Three generations of the Vincent Family of Groesbeck, Texas have run assisted-living centers for Disabled Veterans out of their homes. They created a unique and loving environment where these men who served our Nation can live out their days in a beautiful country setting surrounded by the children of the extended Vincent family and nearly 100 animals. In addition to serving our Nation’s veterans, this wonderful family also serves their community as they represent 25% of Groesbeck's 40-member Volunteer Fire Department. To put it plainly, the Vincents are a wonderful example of the American spirit of service.
Unfortunately, on December 29, 2006 a deadly tornado ripped through the Vincent family compound, destroying the home where James and Eva Vincent lived with their 14-month-old son Hunter and 5 of the veterans. One of the veterans died in the twister but Eva's quick actions literally saved the lives of her young son and the other men in her care. Originally built by hand 30 years ago by James’ grandfather, the home was unfortunately uninsured. And because Groesbeck was never declared a federal disaster area, the family was not eligible for FEMA or other government assistance to rebuild. While the extended family will continue to care for the disabled veterans in the home of Debbie Vincent (James’ mom), James and Eva and their young son Hunter, need a home.
And that's where we need your immediate help.
We need to immediately raise over $22,000 to help send our 20–25 FDNY firefighter and other New York Says Thank You volunteers from around the country to help the Vincents rebuild this 9/11 Anniversary. We expect our largest group ever this year — 80–100 volunteers from New York as well as from ALL the communities nationwide we have assisted on previous anniversaries of 9/11 who will be volunteering on the build site as their way to “pay it forward.” In addition, we expect to have 800–1,000 local residents in Central Texas to participate in the rebuilding effort and the community-wide events planned around our New York Says Thank You rebuilding trip this year. Quite simply, this 9/11 Anniversary weekend will be a life-changing event for the Vincent family. And I appreciate your support in making this happen. As always, your donations are tax-deductible through our 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. And while it costs $500 to sponsor each one of our FDNY/NYSTY volunteers any amount you donate will help.
If you’d like to immediately make an online donation to support our efforts to help the Vincent family rebuild, please click here.
Thank you for your support and enjoy the summer with your family.
Jeff Parness
The New York Says Thank You Foundation
917-806-8061
Youth Winter Coat Giveaway
Over 140 people attended as 119 local youths were blessed with brand new winter coats. Rochester Bible Baptist Church and 5LINX Enterprises, Inc. provided music, games, donuts and beverages for their neighbors in the Rochester community. The need was reinforced as a few kids were observed standing in line outside with only long sleeve t-shirts on. It was truly a legitimate need and all worked together to do what could be done to help address it. “Thank you, and thank Jesus, for putting it on your heart to do something about it!” exclaimed Benjamin De Point, Youth Pastor at RBBC and a 5LINX employee.
Special thanks go out to Jeb Tyler, a 5LINX co-founder, and Dev Badlu for coming out to represent 5LINX Enterprises, Inc. Jeb enjoyed interacting with the kids as he helped hand out coats and talk with the kids. Dev was busy talking pictures and shooting videos. Dev’s son, Adrian, was also busy helping hand out Bibles as the coats were passed out.
See Your Troops Foundation
Mission Statement
To provide state-of-the-art audio and video communications to every ranking member of the military and their family members. Our Foundation will inform the general public of the opportunity to assist our troops, accept donations, and organize the purchase and distribution of videophones and related phone service to strategic military locations worldwide.
Overview
See Your Troops Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3), 509(a)(1) under the National Heritage Foundation, and shares its federal tax status. The foundation was founded by Jim Hopper and officially established on July 6, 2005. The mailing address for the foundation is:
PO Box 25656,
Rochester, NY 14625.
The website serves as our major informational source for contributors, constituents, military personnel and general public.
Watch additional news report videos to learn more:
WGAL (Lancaster, PA) | WHP (Harrisburg, PA)
WHTM (Harrisburg, PA) | WPMT (York, PA)
Learn more about the See Your Troops Foundation (website).
Distance Learning
Distance Learning from 5LINX® Enterprises, Inc. emphasizes bringing people together on a worldwide basis through educational forums. The world contains millions of interesting facts, people and places and a GLOBALINX™ VideoPhone can bring this valuable information to classrooms around the globe through a very cost effective tool. Students of the new millennium deserve the best opportunity to learn through technology. Just imagine a Spanish class in the United States interacting live with a school classroom in South America. How about a world-renowned professor on the East coast sharing their knowledge with 200 educators at a conference in California? Sharing educational tools on a global basis will benefit students today and beyond; 5LINX® is honored to be a contributing factor in ensuring this will happen.
See Your Troops Foundation Aids Military and Hurricane Victims
As hurricanes pounded the Gulf Coast and placed tens of thousands of people in shelters, our Foundation was able to provide free telephony services to various American Red Cross shelters throughout Louisiana. Residents of the shelters and Red Cross officials were grateful for the opportunity to call family members and confirm their safety.
Our first statewide network of videophones is near completion. The National Guard of Pennsylvania will have ten locations where military personnel and their families can use videophones. Four videophones have been deployed to Iraq with the PA National Guard. The Foundation is aiming to connect hundreds of troops with their families over the upcoming holiday season!
See Your Troops Foundation Announces Operation Recycle
This will serve as our first fundraising model to raise new resources to purchase additional videophones.