This month marks one year since our inaugural TEN|10 blog post, Gratitude in Action. Recognizing the philanthropic work of our clients and partners was an especially meaningful way for us to launch our blog. Now, the holiday season is here, and once again the TEN|10 Group is full of gratitude. We continue to watch our clients give back, not only with their checkbooks, but also with their time and talents. It’s this roll-up-your-sleeves-and-dig-in approach that gives real meaning to gratitude and giving back. In other words, it is the doing that counts.

In that spirit, we chose to end 2019 by reprising the Gratitude in Action post. We applaud all of our partners who are out there doing good work all year. We’d like to recognize just a few.

EnCap Investments L.P.

EnCap Investments has long adhered to the philosophy that giving back is both vital and core to the firm’s values. Whether through meaningful partnerships with local nonprofits, disaster relief and support programs, or a dollar-for-dollar employee match, the firm’s EnCap Cares efforts are much more than mere words. Even so, in early 2019 a couple of employees felt the firm could go further, and EnCap EnGage was born.

“We wanted to start a program that would provide the opportunity for all EnCap employees to do something tangible, beyond monetary donations,” said Cole Sanches, EnCap’s Vice President, Financial Reporting. “The people at EnCap are doers by nature, and we saw a chance to harness that power and create a program focusing on volunteer events that allow each one of us to have a direct impact on our local community.”

On Friday, May 3, at the inaugural EnCap EnGage event, 35 employees from across the organization rolled up their sleeves and led an expansion of the Hope Farms Community Garden in the Sunnyside neighborhood south of downtown Houston. The collective 120 volunteer hours contributed by EnCap substantially moved forward Hope Farms’ mission: To provide healthy and affordable food, to provide nutrition education to the Sunnyside community and the city of Houston at-large, and to train military veterans to be future small business owners through sustainable farming.

The success of the first event left employees enthusiastic for more, and two more EnCap EnGage events were scheduled for November. On November 21, the second EnCap EnGage Houston event took place in partnership with the Houston Food Bank. Participants did everything from inspecting and sorting food donations to stocking the pantry to packaging food into family-sized bags to be distributed for Thanksgiving. Additionally, on November 22, the first-ever EnCap EnGage event in Dallas took place as employees performed volunteer work for Mosaic Family Services, an organization that provides shelter for families who are refugees and victims of human trafficking.

“From the outset, we defined success by cross-functional engagement and impact on our community. By those measures we are thrilled with the 2019 EnCap EnGage events, and we are looking forward to continuing our work in 2020 and beyond,” Cole said.

Aspen Midstream

Aspen Midstream believes in making a difference where they live and work. With headquarters in Dallas and core assets 200 miles away in Brenham, the company enjoys the opportunity to make an impact across the state of Texas.

Taking the key factors of donation, partnership and participation into careful consideration, Aspen Midstream thoughtfully invests in the community for long-lasting effect. In August 2019, they donated a drug-detection dog to the Washington County Police. This fully trained yellow lab named “Aspen” will be able to help the precinct for years to come. Further, this summer Aspen Midstream sponsored both the Washington County Fair and the Fayette County Fair at the highest level. These county fairs not only build community, but also collectively give away tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money to local youth.

In Dallas, the Aspen team gets involved in numerous ways, but two highlights this year were Kershaw’s Challenge and Camp John Marc. Kershaw’s Challenge seeks to serve vulnerable and at-risk children living in Dallas, Los Angeles, Zambia and the Dominican Republic. Camp John Marc provides year-round programming and specialized camping experiences for campers living with chronic medical and physical challenges. The Aspen team contributes to these organizations with their time, energy and monetary donations.

“Aspen strives to participate and team up with local charities and organizations where we conduct our business. Any time Aspen can contribute its time and donate to local events, it becomes more meaningful for our employees and our fellow neighbors,” CEO James Clarke said.

Moda Midstream

Moda Midstream purchased the Ingleside, Texas, export terminal from Occidental Petroleum in September 2018. The terminal was formerly a naval base that closed in 2005, and Moda proceeded with purposeful and directed plans to be good neighbors in their new community. The local area had experienced economic decline as residents left the area due to the closure of the base, and as the new kid on the block, Moda wanted to invest in the revitalization of its new home in a way that is meaningful to the residents.

“A key tenet of our company vision is to be an ally in the communities where we work and live,” said Moda CEO and Founding Partner Bo McCall. “When we came to Ingleside, we knew we wanted to be part of bringing vibrancy back to this historic area and wanted to do that by helping where help is needed.”

For Moda, this isn’t lip service. The devastation of Hurricane Harvey is still being felt throughout the community, and when the City of Ingleside contacted Moda about an urgent need to fund driveways for four residents who were displaced, Moda sprung to action. Driveway construction had not been included in the original rebuilding plans of damaged houses, so Moda went further and contacted and partnered with a construction company to donate the necessary funds to add this important piece and ensure that funding was not an obstacle to returning these families to their homes.

With fewer residents in the area, the local volunteer fire department was in need as well. The department’s bunker gear was outdated and preventing them from receiving certification. Upon learning of the situation, Moda presented the department with a check for $40,000 so the much-needed gear could be purchased and firefighters could do their jobs safely.

These are just a few of many examples. Moda is supporting Ingleside in everything from the Chamber of Commerce to local youth sports. “That’s what good neighbors do,” Bo said.

In Closing

As we all reflect upon the many reasons to give thanks for 2019, TEN|10 will continue to focus on our own efforts to turn gratitude into action. Our can-do efforts are focused on supporting Denver Public Schools with our time and talents. We also provide financial support to organizations including Folds Of Honor, World Central Kitchen, the Small Steps Nurturing Center, SAMM Ministries, Hill Country Daily Bread and a local mental health facility. In 2019 we helped purchase 25 therapy dogs for disabled veterans and the survivors of school shootings who suffer from PTSD.

With gratitude, we wish you and your loved ones a healthy and prosperous 2020.