Almo Touts Employee Generosity

Philadelphia-based Almo Professional A/V, a distributor of professional audio and visual equipment, gives a shout-out to its employees who reach out throughout the year to give back to their local communities.

According to the company, employees at its headquarters are very active in planning, giving, serving and participating in multiple philanthropic outreach programs-primarily ones focused on helping children and their families. In 2019 alone, Almo employees provided time, donations, monetary support and more to organizations such as Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House (RMH), AVIXA, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, City Kitchen at the Reading Terminal Market, Philabundance/Somerton Interfaith Food Bank, and St. Peter Cleaver Church.

“Our employees are passionate about helping others, not just during the holidays but throughout the entire year,” says Warren Chaiken, Almo’s president and CEO. “While our philanthropic efforts are focused strongly on organizations supporting childhood illness, we are always looking for ways to give back to our communities, within our business sectors, and both locally and on a larger, national scale. Every year I am blown away by the generosity of our staff and the time and passion they put into giving back. Serving others is part of our Almo business model and it truly brings out the best in all of us.”

Highlights from 2019 included:

Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House: The company donated 23 major appliances to the Philadelpha house. In fact, the company has a national partnership with Ronald McDonald House and employees have donated much-needed items, including their donation of time, to other Ronald McDonald Houses located near other Almo facilities.

AVIXA Michael Vergauwen Foundation Donation: Every June when AVIXA (the Audio/Visual and Integrated Experience Association) puts on its big convention, Almo Pro A/V makes a monetary donation to the AVIXA Michael Vergauwen Foundation program by which scholarships are awarded to college students who display a passion for the AV industry. This past summer, as part of Almo Pro A/V’s 10-year anniversary celebration, a donation check of $2,500 was provided to the foundation.

Splash for Cash: Also every summer, employees at Almo Corp. participate in a dunk tank at their headquarters, with the money raised from the day going to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year, $6,600 was raised through the day of dunking and through a Go-Fund-Me campaign.

City Kitchen at The Reading Terminal Market: City Kitchen is the demonstration kitchen inside the historic Philadelphia Reading Terminal Market that offers private and public cooking classes and events. Almo donated a host of appliances to the organization to support their efforts of providing ongoing, free, practical cooking lessons to inner city kids to increase their independent living skills.

Turkeys and Donations to Philabundance and Somerton Interfaith Food Bank: Since the 1950s, Almo Corp. has given its employees Thanksgiving turkeys, and if they choose, the employees can donate them or the cash equivalent to the Philabundance and Somerton Interfaith Food Bank, two Philadelphia-area hunger relief organizations. This past year Almo employees provided a total of 70 turkeys, along with a monetary donation.

St. Peter Cleaver Church: As part of its “Feeding the Homeless 2019” program, Almo Professional A/V employees donated contents such as toiletries and snacks to create 85 care packages, along with bags of clothes, shoes and blankets for local-area families through St. Peter Cleaver Church in Baltimore.