Community

At Gfeller Laurie LLP, we are deeply committed to the communities in which we live and work. We connect to the community through the pro bono legal services we provide to persons of limited means, the community service activities we undertake to build and strengthen the community, and the financial support we provide to charitable and cultural organizations.

We currently serve the community individually through the following organizations:

Additionally, we recently launched our community impact project, Defending Against Hunger, which is aimed at reducing hunger and providing children with increased education about and access to healthy foods. We support the great works of FoodShare, Foodcorps, as well as other local nonprofits addressing food insecurity.

Here are other examples of our community involvement:

Mitchell House Food Drive 2022

In support of the local community, GL attorneys and staff again donated food products and put together 250 food bags for Mitchell House, a Hartford food pantry for local families. Happy Thanksgiving and all the best for the holiday season.

HomeFront New Jersey 2022

The New Jersey office of Gfeller Laurie collected and donated food products this Thanksgiving for HomeFront New Jersey. Their mission is to end homelessness and break the cycle of poverty in Central New Jersey by harnessing the caring, resources and expertise of the community

Bridge Family Center’s Annual Children’s Charity Ball

Gfeller Laurie LLP purchased a table and attended the 23rd annual Children’s Charity Ball, The Bridge Family Center’s annual fundraiser, on April 30. Based in West Hartford, The Bridge Family Center is a comprehensive, regional nonprofit agency and safe haven that provides a broad range of counseling services for children and families, many of whom have been emotionally and financially challenged by the pandemic.

Founding partner Robert Laurie and his wife Tamara are Honorary Chairs of the event. Associate Shrina Faldu is a member of the Center’s Board of Directors. Attending the Ball were partner Linda Hadley, the Honorable Judge Bill Hadley, founding partner Charles Gfeller and his wife Alena Gfeller and managing partner Melicent Thompson (L-R in attached photo).

Mitchell House Food Drive 2021

Once again, the Gfeller Laurie team helped supply holiday meals to families in need for Thanksgiving at the Hartford Neighborhood Center, whose mission is to provide an educational, cultural, social and recreational ‘safe haven’ for under-served individuals and families in Hartford and its surrounding communities.

Mitchell House Food Drive 2020

The Gfeller Laurie team helped supply holiday meals to approximately 385 families for Thanksgiving at the Hartford Neighborhood Center, whose mission is to provide an educational, cultural, social and recreational ‘safe haven’ for under-served individuals and families in Hartford and its surrounding communities.

Homefront Thanksgiving Drive 2020

Once again, our Princeton, New Jersey office supported the vulnerable families in our local community. Our goal was to make sure that every family had the opportunity to experience the joy of having a home-cooked meal on Thanksgiving Day.

Diaper and Wipe Drive for The Town That Cares Food Pantry

Gfeller Laurie recently organized a Diaper and Wipe Drive and donated the items to The Town That Cares Food Pantry in West Hartford. More than 800 households a year receive food and basic household items from the Food Pantry. Donations like this assist West Hartford residents struggling to put food on their tables.

Bridge Family Center’s Annual Children’s Charity Ball

On January 18, 2020, a contingent from Gfeller Laurie attended the 21^st Annual Children’s Charity Ball, the signature fundraiser of Bridge Family Center in West Hartford, which supports children, adults, and families in the region. The elegant black-tie evening with a reception, dinner and live and silent auctions was attended by 300 people. For 50 years, the Bridge Family Center has dedicated itself to enhancing and transforming the lives of people seeking care, hope, and healing. The theme of the evening was ‘Staying the Course’. Shrina Faldu, an attorney at GL, currently serves as a Member of the Bridge Board of Trustees.

Mitchell House Food Drive 2019

The Gfeller Laurie team stuffed and handed out approximately 400 food bags for Thanksgiving at the Hartford Neighborhood Center, whose mission is to provide an educational, cultural, social and recreational ‘safe haven’ for under-served individuals and families in Hartford and its surrounding communities. https://www.hnci.org/

Habitat for Humanity Women Build

On May 16, 2019 a team of our staff and attorney “builders” participated in the annual Hartford Habitat for Humanity “Women Build” event. This is the second year of the firm’s participation in the event. The mission of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program is to recruit, educate and nurture women to build and advocate for simple, decent and affordable houses in their communities. Men are also welcomed as team members. Each team of twelve members raises funds for Hartford Habitat initiatives and then spends one full day building on the site of future Habitat homes. This year our builders, working with Habitat volunteer crew supervisors, helped with framing, drywalling, painting and flooring at the four homes going up in Hartford’s north end. We feel fortunate to be a part of such an awesome annual event in our community and look forward to the dedication and key ceremony for these homes in the fall of this year.

Mitchell House Food Drive 2018

Following tradition, our West Hartford Office participated in the Mitchell House Food Drive, donating non-perishable food items and organizing bags to distribute to hungry families in need this Thanksgiving.

Homefront Thanksgiving Drive 2018

Once again, our Princeton, New Jersey office supported the vulnerable families in our local community. We were able to contribute approximately three times the number of food baskets as we did in 2017! Our goal was to make sure that every family had the opportunity to experience the joy of having a home-cooked meal on Thanksgiving Day.

Junior League of Hartford Volunteer-A-Thon 2018

Olivia Tawa participated in the Junior League of Hartford (“JLH”) Volunteer-A-Thon, working with JLH’s community partner, the United Labor Agency – Labor of Love Backpack Program. JLH volunteers helped pack one month’s worth of weekend food for the Labor of Love Backpack Program. The backpacks were packed with child-friendly, non-perishable foods for the weekend. The backpacks contained enough food to feed a child for the weekend and included food for at least one family meal. JLH also donated books from Barnes & Noble to the program to include in the backpacks for the children each week.

The Volunteer-A-Thon is a mission-based fundraiser where JLH members volunteered with a variety of local nonprofit organizations throughout Greater Hartford for 26.2 continuous hours on Friday, November 9th and Saturday, November 10th.

Children’s Home Society Toy Drive 2017

Our Princeton, New Jersey office participated in the Children’s Home Society Toy Drive, donating presents to bring joy this Christmas to at-risk children in need.

Mitchell House Food Drive 2017

Once again, our West Hartford Office participated in the Mitchell House Food Drive, donating non-perishable food items and organizing bags to distribute to hungry families in need this Thanksgiving.

Homefront Thanksgiving Drive 2017

Our Princeton, New Jersey office supported vulnerable families in our local community by contributing food baskets. By partaking in this food drive, we sought to enable every family to have the opportunity to experience the joy of having a home-cooked meal on Thanksgiving Day.