Tharrington Smith, in partnership with StepUp Ministry, adopted two families including eight children as a part of the Ministry’s Adopt Families for Christmas program. The downtown-Raleigh law firm’s effort was led by staff members Courtney Zachary and Jessica Edwards, who organized the Christmas lists, set aside time to shop for the gifts, and organized a wrapping session for all Tharrington Smith attorneys and staff to join in the effort.

StepUP Ministry is a non-profit organization located in Raleigh and Greensboro working to enable people to build stable lives through mentoring, life skills training, academic tutoring, scholarships, vocational training, and GED preparation.

“Courtney, Jessica, and our entire firm truly embraced this opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families during this holiday season,” said Tharrington Smith Family Law attorney Lynn Burleson. “Working with an organization like StepUp makes perfect sense to us. Their focus on education as a path to success is vital and truly making an impact as over 90% of program graduates remain on the path to stability.”

StepUp Ministry’s Children’s Program Director Elizabeth Dowgin shared, “We are so thankful that Tharrington Smith adopted our StepUp families and donated Christmas gifts to our children and teens. The parents were overcome with tears when they picked up the carefully-chosen and beautifully-wrapped gifts. Such thoughtfulness and generosity helps our participants have a truly magical holiday season,” Dowgin continued. “We are appreciative for those at Tharrington Smith whose eagerness to serve and willingness to give certainly does not go unnoticed. I can only imagine the surprise and joy on the children’s faces Christmas morning!”