Levinson Axelrod staff brings strong presence to Central Jersey community
Every Christmas, Chris Sheils and the rest of the Millstone Valley Chorus car-pool to the Rescue Mission in Trenton. In the parking lot, two men await their arrival. One escorts the women into the building, where they perform a holiday show for the homeless. The other man must miss the show in order to watch the cars in the parking lot.
In this dangerous area of the city, few volunteers come to visit the homeless at this mission, many of whom struggle with addiction problems. Chris Sheils and the Millstone Valley Chorus, however, have traveled there for the past 15 years to sing to this “forgotten” group.
Like Chris, who is a nurse paralegal, many staff members of Levinson Axelrod devote their time to volunteer in the community. It should come as no surprise that the same individuals who work everyday communicating with injured clients and organizing and investigating their cases continue to help others outside of the office.
Linda, secretary to Levinson Axelrod associate Bayard Smith, volunteers as an Advisory Board member for Golden Assembly #43 of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. The IORG is a service organization with assemblies throughout the world that provide service work and charitable contributions to various other organizations.
As a member of the Advisory Board, Linda guides the girls of her assembly through service projects and charity work, which the girls themselves ultimately choose. Golden Assembly’s girls are currently collecting tabs from the tops of cans to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. Eventually, these tabs will provide additional time for children on life support.
While Linda uses her leadership skills to mentor the girls of IORG, Chris sees her love of singing as an effective way to reach out to those around her. She believes that singing, especially the four-part acapella harmony of Barbershop quartets such as her own Sweet Revival, “speaks to [the] soul.”
Chris, the women of the quartet, and the larger Millstone Valley Chorus are part of a larger chapter of Sweet Adelines International, which is a non-profit singing organization. Members of the chapter range from age 20 to age 80, and many of them participate in fundraising events such as the Somerset County 4-H Fair and events for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In addition to singing at the Rescue Mission in Trenton, Chris and other members regularly sing at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Many of their performances are provided free to the public, and any money earned is used towards the continuing education of the singers.
Next year, Chris and the Millstone Valley Chorus will “spread the harmony” internationally when they travel to London and Amsterdam for a concert tour. In 2003, they were invited to sing in the International Festival of Harmony in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Individuals like Chris and Linda reach out on their own, but Levinson Axelrod also participates as a firm in various community organizations. Secretary Cindy Niziolek is especially involved in the firm’s group efforts.
Every Thanksgiving, she organizes a dinner for the Middlesex County Youth Shelter, which is a temporary shelter that houses 25 youths from the ages of 12 to 18, many of which do not return home for the holiday. Cindy prepares turkey, stuffing, and yams, while other staff members supply all other food needed for the Thanksgiving meal and, hopefully, the rest of the weekend.
“If we didn’t do this,” Cindy explains, “they would have to eat at the adult corrections facility across the street.”
Cindy also works with fellow secretary Kathy Telepun to organize Christmas gifts for the Youth Shelter and for a second “permanent” shelter, Middlefields Group Home, which is also part of DYFS. Together, they collect money and gifts from Levinson Axelrod staff members and attorneys for the 35 teenagers living in the shelters. They also collect much-needed toiletries for the youth, such as shampoo, deodorant, and towels.
Whether volunteering individually or together, part of what makes such community involvement possible for these women is the support system that staff members find in each other. When Kathy decided to participate in a 6.5 mile walk this year in Sandy Hook for Multiple Sclerosis, most of her pledges came from the staff and attorneys of the Edison and satellite offices. Kathy is now committing herself to the walk every year.
“Without [my co-workers], I wouldn’t have been able to contribute as much as I did financially,” she explains. “Their support and belief in me helped me cross the finish line.”
