With Philanthropy as a Core Value, Club Phil is How Bhavans Give Back: Part 2

By Rhiannon PachecoJune 8, 2018

Picking up where I left off in Part 1 of this blog post on Club Phil(anthropy), here’s what we’ve been up to:

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In February, Bhavans spread the love with a Valentine’s Day card-making activity for hospitalized children with Cardz for Kidz. Cardz for Kidz is a Chicago-based organization whose “goal is to impact as many children as possible and help them take their minds off their current situation by reminding them they truly are special.” It brings hand-designed cards to seriously ill children who are confined to their hospital rooms. Bhavans enjoyed channeling their creative skills with heartfelt sentiments, puns and silly drawings to bring smiles to more than 100 children all over the world.

Angel Island is often referred to as the “Ellis Island of the West.” It was a key entry point for many Asian immigrants as they entered the U.S., and was also infamously used as a detention center for many Chinese-Americans between 1882 and 1943 as a result of the Chinese Exclusion Acts and for Japanese-American immigrants during World War II. A bell now stands at the mouth of China Cove to commemorate their plight, and visitors to the island can tour the barracks and read Chinese poetry and Japanese haikus etched into the walls by those detained there.

Angel Island’s panoramic views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge make it hard to fathom such a beautiful place has such a dark history. Today, Angel Island is a popular destination for hiking and camping. On a sunny day in April, Bhavans hiked from the ferry to the immigration station and swept brush and leaves from pathways and gutters to clear the way for spring growth and to maintain the property for visitors. We refueled with a hearty lunch at Sam’s Anchor Cafe in Tiburon.

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When we’re not doing one of our many outdoor Club Phil activities , you’ll find us making a difference indoors –  inside a classroom, for example, speaking to students about what a career in PR is like. Earlier this month, Pam Njissang, the managing director for our Emeryville headquarters, joined professionals from all over the region to present at Bohannon Middle School’s 5th Annual Career Day. Pam presented to more than 100 students throughout the day and shared her experiences and career path, leaving students more knowledgeable about the field of PR. With any luck, some were inspired to explore a future career in communications.

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Not only do Bhavans love the outdoors, many of us also love dogs and cats… and beer! A contingent of us, along with friends and significant others and our canine companions, participated in the fifth annual Pints for Paws fundraiser put on by the Berkeley Humane organization. More than 1,500 animal-friendly humans came out for the popular event in Berkeley, along with more than 220 people-friendly dogs, a small army of 120 volunteers and 58 sponsors, and rows upon rows of food and beverage vendors. Fully 100 percent of event proceeds go to saving animals, so we were inspired to invest extra to get the VIP tickets, which provided access to a shaded tent and a roster of specially made beers such as the flavorful raspberry-infused Fieldwork Rainbow Parfait.

The weather was gorgeous – the first true hot weekend of 2018 in the Bay Area – and booths with the best local and national craft beers from 22 breweries were sampled by a diverse crowd of folks young and seasoned as live music filled the air. Bhava dogs got cool swag like scrunchie balls and bandanas and Bhava humans got commemorative beer glasses and beer-opener keychains from Ballast Point Brewing Company. But it wasn’t just all dogs. There was also a very large air-conditioned trailer with cats and kittens on display for attendees to play with and adopt. All in all, this year’s event broke prior records and was a huge success in terms of the fun had by all and the money raised to save animals.

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Bhava’s founder Liz is looking forward to directly working with Berkeley Humane a lot more in the coming months, and our agency is working on a pro bono communications program for the organization. For Pints for Paws, our team engaged in social media outreach across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Planning is underway for philanthropic efforts for the second half of the year. We’re looking forward to to keeping philanthropy an integral part of our work lives and Bhava culture, as well as an expression of our community-focused values.

Outside the office, you'll find Rhiannon -- a former NCAA D1 rower -- hiking in the Marin headlands, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen with new, healthy ingredients discovered at the farmer's market.
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