The Rewards of Giving Back
The personal, professional, and organizational benefits of partnering with community difference-makers.
George Henriques is president of the Patterson Foundation and chief commercial officer of Patterson Veterinary.
The Patterson Foundation recently announced $187,460 in grant funding to 11 nonprofit organizations in the oral and animal health fields. These organizations were selected based on the Foundation’s focus of providing dental care to disadvantaged communities and assistance dogs to veterans and people with disabilities.
“We are thrilled to continue supporting organizations that align with Patterson’s values,” said George Henriques, Patterson Foundation president, and chief commercial officer, Patterson Veterinary. “These selected organizations provide meaningful contributions that are making a difference in the communities they serve.”
The organizations include two in animal health – Canine Partners for Life and Freedom Service Dogs, Inc. Henriques spoke to Veterinary Advantage about the rewards of being involved in giving back to the community through partnering with organizations such as Canine Partners and Freedom Service Dogs.
How do Patterson team members benefit from the company being invested in giving back to nonprofit organizations?
I feel it is important to give back to the communities we serve, and the Patterson Foundation helps connect Patterson employees to nonprofits. Our employees want to be part of something bigger, so providing oral health care to underserved communities and expanding capacity to train and place service dogs fully aligns with our goals and resonates with our people.
In what ways have you seen a community be transformed by the work of nonprofits (such as Freedom Service Dogs)?
Freedom Service Dogs takes rescues dogs from shelters, trains and places them with clients with disabilities. The FSDs increase client independence, improve quality of life and provide a true companion. The most satisfying part of our support for FSD is seeing the way dogs can transform the life of someone in need. The mutual benefit for the dog and human shows the power of companionship.
How has it been beneficial to get involved – both personally as well as with your family?
When the Patterson Foundation made the initial grant to FSD in 2018, my wife and daughter accompanied me on a tour. They were able to see the life-changing work that this organization provides. My daughter became very interested in volunteering and as a family, we started to attend training. We feel that it is very important to give back to the community and it’s a bonus that this organization directly correlates with the mission of the Patterson Foundation.
The Patterson Foundation
Last year, Patterson Foundation gave more than $1.4 million in grants and scholarships, resulting in 21,244 patients receiving oral health care and more than 48 assistance dogs being placed with veterans or individuals with disabilities. Patterson Foundation is a private grant-making foundation that awards higher education scholarships to the children of Patterson Companies employees and provides grant funding to nonprofit organizations. Its grants are focused on programs that provide dental care to disadvantaged communities and assistance dogs to veterans and people with disabilities.
