Thanksgiving is coming up, and Christmas and New Years are just around the corner! It's a busy time of year, so we've put together a shipping schedule that you can use to plan around carrier closures. 

Around the holidays, we like to reflect on how grateful we are for the amazing community we live and work in. Each year we seek out local charitable organizations that support causes near and dear to our hearts to make donations to. We’ve made our selections for this year and want to share a little bit about them with you.

Debra (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America)
This organization is dedicated to finding a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), which affects 1 out of every 20,000 live births in the United States. EB is a genetically based disease characterized by chronic, painful blistering. The skin and mucous membranes are so fragile that the slightest touch can cause severe blistering inside and outside the body. The mission of Debra of America is to improve the quality of life for all people living with EB, their families, and caregivers through programs and services while funding research to find a cure and treatments for EB.

Wigs for Kids
For over 30 years, Wigs for Kids has been providing Hair Replacement Systems and support for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, Alopecia, Trichotillomania, burns, and other medical issues. The children they help are treated for different periods of time, depending on each child’s particular circumstances – sometimes even for several years. Wigs for Kids helps children suffering from hair loss look like themselves and live their lives.

Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4K)
SC4K provides a unique service for income-eligible families in Greater Cleveland by distributing new shoes, clothing and items for infants and youths. SC4K has positively impacted the lives of area children by giving them the pride and confidence that comes with having new shoes and clothes, for the past 46 years. This pride and confidence is essential to a child’s success in school and in life.

Child Life Wish List
The goal of Child Life Wish List is to help Child Life programs attain their wish list goals. These wish lists are made by children who have severe illnesses and require hospitalization. Child Life Wish List raises funds through donations and special events, and by acquiring and distributing much needed supplies and materials to Child Life programs at surrounding hospitals.

W.A.G.S. 4 Kids
W.A.G.S. 4 Kids is dedicated to providing mobility service and autism service animals, meeting the specific needs of children with disabilities in Northeast Ohio. Utilizing its award-winning ODRC Accredited Cell Dog Training Program, each dog provides therapeutic, task, emotional and physical support for children with disabilities and their families. The organization is driven by the belief in early intervention and will work with a family as early in a child's life as there is a need and an interest.

These donations would not be possible without the support of our customers. Thank you for your business and have a wonderful holiday season!

The best part of the holiday season is the chance to give back to those in need. Continuing a tradition started at PartnerShip several years ago, we’ve selected a handful of charitable organizations to make donations to this season. We are passionate about the amazing things that all these non-profit organizations do for the people in our community and we’re happy to support them.

The organizations receiving donations from PartnerShip this year are:

Debra (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America)
This organization is dedicated to finding a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), which affects 1 out of every 20,000 live births in the United States. EB is a genetically based disease characterized by chronic, painful blistering. The skin and mucous membranes are so fragile that the slightest touch can cause severe blistering inside and outside the body. The mission of Debra of America is to improve the quality of life for all people living with EB, their families, and caregivers through programs and services while funding research to find a cure and treatments for EB.

Project Linus
As a non-profit organization, Project Linus provides homemade blankets to children in need. Their blankets are lovingly made by adults and children from all walks of life and many different sources. Their mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth, and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. The gift of new, handmade blankets created by volunteer “blanketeers,” provides a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities.

Youth Challenge
Over 400 teenage volunteers are at the heart of Youth Challenge (YC). Performing over 11,000 hours of service at YC activities and programs last year, they allow children with physical disabilities and their families to benefit from the sports and recreation activities that they would not normally be able to participate in. Located in Westlake, Ohio, they provide free transportation from their schools to the facility where the volunteers help them enjoy the gymnasium, adapted weight-lifting area, yoga, and many other activities.

Kisses from Heaven
Conceived by two families that, unfortunately, spent too much time in the NICU with their children, Kisses from Heaven is an organization that puts together and delivers gift bags to level III NICUs to give a moment of happiness and hope to families in the midst of so much anxiety and struggle. Each gift bag is approximately $50 and contains items such as gas cards, sleepers, books, snacks, journals, and much more! All the donations that Kisses from Heaven get make a difference – one bag at a time.

Project Lifesaver
Project Lifesaver is an active response to the problem of locating people who many not be able to find their way home on their own. A lost person with any kind of dementia or developmental disability is unaware of his/her situation; they do not call out for help and do not respond to people calling out to them. The Project Lifesaver team is trained in how to approach a person with Alzheimer’s disease or a developmental disability, to gain their trust and put them at ease for the trip home.

These donations would not be possible without the business and support of our many customers, and we're very grateful for that. We hope you agree that these donations will have a beneficial impact. Thank you and happy holidays!

Mark your calendars! Small Business Saturday^® this year is November 28th. Since 2010, this day has been dedicated to supporting small businesses and local communities across the country. Last year, 88 million people got out to Shop Small^®, making this "small" day a pretty big deal. 

If you own a small business be sure to take advantage of the free marketing materials you can use to promote the day and encourage shoppers to visit your business. The more you do to promote it, the more customers you'll see come through your door. 

If you're interested in shopping small, click here to find participating businesses for dinning, shopping, entertainment and more. You'll find a great tool to search for local merchants in your community that you can help support with your loyalty over the holiday shopping season.

Not only is PartnerShip a small business, but we also actively support thousands of other small businesses across North America with discounted shipping services and unique, value-added shipping solutions. We're glad to support this annual event which is sponsored by American Express. For more information on PartnerShip services and how we can help support your small business, click here to contact us.

Continuing our annual tradition, the employees of PartnerShip have once again created a short and fun holiday video in appreciation for our customers and our carrier partners. This year's video pays homage to the holiday classic, A Christmas Story, which was originally filmed in our hometown of Cleveland, OH (in fact, the house in our video is the same house from the movie).

You can watch the video below or you can view it directly on the PartnerShip YouTube Channel. Either way, we hope you enjoy it!

The PartnerShip team wishes you all the very best during this holiday season, as well as a prosperous and successful new year!

PartnerShip continues its annual tradition of "giving back" by sharing our good fortune during the holidays with area organizations that can use our support. In lieu of expensive customer gifts (other than our complimentary 2014 wall calendars), and as we have done in years past, we will be traveling to five local charities this week to make generous donations on behalf of PartnerShip. Our employees feel very passionate about the amazing things that all these charities do for the people in our community and many of us have been touched personally by some of them.

The organizations receiving these contributions are as follows (click on each name to learn more):

• DebRA of America: The mission of Debra (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association) of America is to improve the quality of life for all people living with EB, their families, and the caregivers through programs and services while funding research to find a cure and treatments for Epidermolysis Bullosa.

• Purple Lotus Project: Based in Lorain County, the Purple Lotus Project is a non-profit organization that provides education, transition and safety resources to women, teens, children, men and animals that are affected by domestic violence and abuse. Using a wide range of resources to assist those who need help to escape or help someone escape an abusive/domestic violence situation.

• Oaks Family Care Center:  A non-profit, non-political social service agency; Oaks Family Care Center provides support and encouragement to fathers, mothers, teens and all those in crisis. They help families understand their options so they can make educated decisions regarding life issues. Offering support groups and classes, material goods, outreach programs and a help line to anyone who needs support in their life.

• Elisabeth's House: The Prentiss Wellness Nursery (Providence House): The Prentiss Wellness Nursery is a collaborative, innovative solution addressing children's medical needs and family stability to support safe discharge of children from a hospital to an appropriate setting combined with intensive family support services to increase caregiver capacity and stabilize family crises. The vision of the nursery is that children everywhere are raised in safe, loving families free from abuse and neglect.

• Beds for Cleveland Kids: With over 3,000 families coming into the Cleveland Furniture Bank every year looking for basic home furnishing, and many with children who need beds to sleep in, the demand was too high for them to keep up with. Thus Beds for Cleveland Kids was formed in order to obtain donations from the public with the objective being to provide a gently used bed to every child in Cleveland that needs one, so that no child has to sleep on the floor.

PartnerShip continues its long history of generously giving back to the community, through individual fund-raising events and yearly participation in our local United Way drive. Each of the selected charities has touched our employees' hearts in a personal way and holds special meaning to our company. We hope that you agree that these donations will have a great and beneficial impact - after all, these donations would not be possible without the business and support of our many customers.

Thank you and happy holidays!

During this 2012 holiday season, we at PartnerShip continue our tradition of sharing our good fortune where it can benefit the less fortunate among us. In lieu of expensive customer gifts (other than our complimentary 2013 calendars), and as we have done in years past, we have made generous donations to five charities located near our corporate office in Cleveland, OH. Each, we feel, is worthy of our support because of the good they do in our community.

The organizations receiving these contributions are:

• Debra: (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America) is committed to finding a cure for EB, while responding to the increased need to provide direct services to patients and their families.

• American Cancer Society Hope Lodge: is a unique home away from home for people (and their families) who need temporary, comfortable, supportive accommodations offered free of charge during cancer treatments.

• Ronald McDonald House: the family room is a brief respite for families to use while remaining merely steps away from their child's bedside; making it a bit of home within the walls of a hospital.

• Emily's Hopeful Holiday: Emily is a 12 year old girl who was diagnosed with  Leukemia in 2007, now a cancer survivor, with her family she created EHH to raise funds to help other families at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital dealing with childhood cancer.

• Ames Family Hospice House: this 32-bed hospice care center offers comfort care for seriously ill people and their loved ones in peaceful, comfortable surroundings. This facility is newly built and was built with patients and their families in mind with private suites and porches enhancing the home-like feeling.

PartnerShip has a long history of generously giving back to the community, through individual fund-raising events and yearly participation in our local United Way drive. Each of the selected charities has touched our employees' hearts in a personal way and holds special meaning to our company. We hope that you agree that these donations will have a great and beneficial impact - after all, these donations would not be possible without the loyalty and support of our customers.

Thank you and happy holidays!

May 28, 2012

May 29, 2012

PartnerShip will also be closed May 28, 2012 and will reopen at our normal business hours on May 29, 2012. For questions about these closures and how they may affect shipments, please feel free to contact PartnerShip at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.

From everyone here at PartnerShip — have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!