Giving Back During the Holidays: Moustarah & Company Volunteer at Hope Mission

Moustarah & Company Gives Back to the Edmonton Community

At Moustarah & Company, we believe that being part of the Edmonton community means more than simply operating a business here. Our lawyers and staff live, work and participate in the communities we serve, and we believe it is important to contribute our time and resources when opportunities arise.

In 2018, members of the Moustarah & Company team volunteered at Hope Mission in Edmonton. Instead of spending the day in our usual office environment, members of our team put on hair nets, aprons and gloves and worked alongside Hope Mission staff and volunteers to help prepare and serve a meal.

It was a practical opportunity for our team to step outside of our usual professional roles and spend time helping an organization that provides services and support to people experiencing poverty, homelessness and other difficult circumstances.

The experience was both eye-opening and meaningful for the members of our team who participated.

Our Volunteer Experience at Hope Mission

Volunteering at Hope Mission gave members of our team an opportunity to see first-hand some of the work involved in providing meals and support to people in Edmonton who are experiencing challenging circumstances.

Our team helped with the preparation and serving of a meal. Although preparing and serving a meal may seem like a simple task, volunteer support allows organizations such as Hope Mission to focus their resources on the people they serve.

For our team, the experience was a reminder that community support can take many forms. Financial donations are important, but giving time and being willing to participate directly can also make a meaningful contribution.

We appreciated the opportunity to work together outside of the office and to contribute to the work being done at Hope Mission.

Why We Volunteer

Community involvement is an important part of Moustarah & Company’s identity as an Edmonton law firm.

Our legal work is focused on helping people through difficult situations. In our personal injury practice, we regularly work with people whose lives have been affected by accidents and serious injuries. We understand that difficult circumstances can affect much more than a person’s legal situation.

An injury can affect a person’s ability to work, financial security, family responsibilities, independence and overall quality of life. Other circumstances, including poverty, housing insecurity and lack of access to basic necessities, can create equally significant challenges for individuals and families.

Supporting community organizations allows our team to contribute in a different way and reminds us of the importance of treating every person with dignity, compassion and respect.

Volunteering at Hope Mission was one example of our firm’s broader commitment to giving back to the Edmonton community.

Supporting People in Our Community

Organizations serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty perform important work every day. Providing food is one part of that work, but community support organizations can also connect people with other services and resources.

Hope Mission has provided services to people experiencing poverty and homelessness in Edmonton and across Alberta for many years.

For organizations such as Hope Mission, volunteers are an important part of delivering programs and services. People who volunteer contribute their time, skills and energy to help the organization serve members of the community.

Our team’s volunteer shift provided a small opportunity to contribute to that work.

A Meaningful Experience for Our Team

One of the most valuable aspects of volunteering is the opportunity to step outside our normal routines.

Lawyers and legal staff spend much of their working day dealing with files, documents, deadlines, meetings and client matters. Volunteering at Hope Mission gave our team the opportunity to put those professional responsibilities aside temporarily and work together on something entirely different.

Preparing and serving a meal allowed our team to contribute directly and interact with other volunteers and members of the community.

The experience also provided an opportunity for reflection. It is easy to become focused on our own daily responsibilities without considering the challenges faced by other people in the same community.

We left the experience with an even greater appreciation for the organizations and volunteers who provide support to vulnerable members of the Edmonton community every day.

Hope Mission and Edmonton

Hope Mission is an Edmonton-based charitable organization that provides services and support to people experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Its work includes providing food, shelter and other forms of support to people in need. The organization relies on staff, volunteers, donors and community partners to deliver its programs.

For Edmonton businesses and residents looking for ways to support the community, volunteering with organizations such as Hope Mission can provide an opportunity to make a direct contribution.

Visit Hope Mission to learn more about its current programs and volunteer opportunities
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Volunteering During the Holiday Season

The 2018 Hope Mission volunteer experience was part of a broader effort by members of the Moustarah & Company team to give back to the Edmonton community.

Later that year, members of the firm’s team, including lawyers, articling students and staff, also volunteered at Hope Mission during the holiday season.

The firm’s continued involvement with Hope Mission demonstrates that community support was not limited to a single volunteer shift.

Read about Moustarah & Company’s holiday volunteer experience at Hope Mission
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Continuing Our Support of Hope Mission

Moustarah & Company’s connection with Hope Mission continued beyond volunteering in the kitchen.

In 2019, members of our team participated in Hope Mission’s Cold Hands Warm Hearts campaign, including a fundraising walk supporting Hope Mission.

This continued involvement is important to us because meaningful community participation is not necessarily about one event or one day. It can involve returning, contributing again and finding different ways to support organizations doing important work.

Explore more of Moustarah & Company’s community support initiatives
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Giving Back as an Edmonton Law Firm

Moustarah & Company has been providing legal services in Edmonton since 2007. Our firm’s primary focus is personal injury law, and our lawyers represent injured people in Edmonton and throughout Alberta.

We recognize that being a local law firm comes with a responsibility to the community where we work.

Community involvement is therefore an important part of our firm’s identity. Whether through volunteering, charitable sponsorships, fundraising campaigns or other community initiatives, we look for opportunities to contribute beyond our day-to-day legal practice.

Our volunteer experience at Hope Mission is one example of that commitment.

The Importance of Community Service

Community service benefits both the organizations receiving support and the people who volunteer.

For charitable organizations, volunteers provide additional hands, skills and energy that can help deliver programs and services. For volunteers, participating directly can provide a better understanding of the challenges facing people in their own communities.

For a professional team, volunteering can also strengthen relationships within the workplace. Working together in a different environment allows colleagues to interact in ways that are different from their normal day-to-day responsibilities.

Our Hope Mission volunteer experience provided all of these benefits and reinforced the value of making time for community involvement.

Community Involvement and Our Approach to Client Service

Our involvement in the Edmonton community is separate from our legal representation of clients, but the two share an important underlying principle: people matter.

Personal injury clients often come to us at difficult points in their lives. They may be dealing with pain, medical treatment, lost income, uncertainty about their future and concerns about how an injury will affect their family.

Providing legal representation requires technical legal knowledge, but it also requires listening to people and understanding the circumstances surrounding their claim.

Our community involvement reinforces the importance of empathy, respect and service—values that are also important in our relationships with clients.

Encouraging Others to Give Back

Our experience at Hope Mission also reminded us that giving back does not require an organization to be large or an individual to make a significant financial contribution.

People can contribute in different ways depending on their circumstances. Volunteering a few hours, donating needed items, making a financial contribution, participating in a fundraising event or simply learning more about an organization’s work can all be ways of supporting the community.

If you are looking for an opportunity to volunteer or support people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Edmonton, Hope Mission is one organization you may wish to learn more about.

Learn about volunteering and other ways to support Hope Mission
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Our Hope Mission Volunteer Experience

Looking back on our volunteer experience, we are grateful for the opportunity to spend time at Hope Mission and contribute to its work in Edmonton.

Members of the Moustarah & Company team helped prepare and serve a meal, worked alongside other volunteers and gained a greater appreciation for the people and organizations working to support vulnerable members of our community.

We are proud to have participated and grateful to Hope Mission for the opportunity.

We encourage other Edmonton businesses, professionals and individuals to consider how they can contribute their own time and resources to organizations doing important work in our community.