Contributors

Womble Day of Service 2026: Celebrating 150 Years of Commitment to Community

For 150 years, Womble Bond Dickinson has been an active, engaged neighbor in the places we call home. The needs of these communities are varied and great. But as one firm, the Womble Bond Dickinson family answered the call to help at this year’s Day of Service. 

Offices across the firm gave back to their communities in their own special way, united by one shared purpose: honoring 150 years of service by creating even more of it.

The following stories, quotes, and photos show the good we can do when we work together. 

Hunger Relief/Food Insecurity

According to U.S. Census data, more than seven percent of Americans are food insecure, meaning they sometimes or often don’t have enough food. Many Womble offices chose Day of Service projects that address this basic need. Womble team members donated, packed, prepared, sorted, and served food to community members facing hunger.

Specific projects included:

  • Atlanta — Packing more than 100 sack lunches for clients of Crossroads Community Ministries who are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
  • Denver — Preparing and serving meals at the Denver Rescue Mission. The Denver office also held a food and clothing drive to serve clients at the Mission.
  • Greensboro — Assembling weekend food packs for food-insecure preschool and elementary school children through the Backpack Beginnings program.
  • Huntsville — Distributing food to local families through Manna House, a food pantry serving the Huntsville area.
  • Nashville — Sorting food for distribution through Second Harvest. These items will be distributed to food pantries throughout Middle and West Tennessee.
  • Raleigh & Research Triangle Park — Holding a volunteer food bank service project with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina at their two Triangle locations in Raleigh and Durham. 
  • Silicon Valley — Filling bags with fresh produce at the Sunnyvale Community Services Center. The center distributes fruits and vegetables, as well as eggs, milk and proteins, to those in need.

RTP Partner Kim Richmond said, “Learning the rates of food insecurity in eastern North Carolina was humbling, but knowing the sweet potatoes and squash we sorted would reach families in need within days was rewarding. I’m grateful for Womble’s financial and hands-on support of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.  When we roll up our sleeves together, we strengthen our community and our shared sense of purpose.”

“I was so glad I volunteered for it this year,” said Raleigh Patent Coordinator Maryam Allen. “It was an awesome feeling.”

Denver Practice Support Assistant Kaite Bradberry said, “I am very aware that everyone you see that is ‘homeless’ is in fact not just an irresponsible and drug-addicted loss to society. I learned that there can simply be people who don't or didn’t have support in life: I might see a person that just lost their job. Maybe a single parent. A foster kid just stepping out on their own with nothing. There could be students, young adults. There could be the elderly. There can even be people with special needs/neurodivergence who were never diagnosed or helped. I don’t do much (in my opinion) when I am there, but I do get to simply help people with a meal, with no judgement and no ill-wish and no airs. I support the people who want to make a difference in that community, I like to remind myself of the gratitude I have for my own support and family in life, and I enjoy the reminder to pay that goodness forward as often as I can as many ways as I can.”

Hygiene, Dignity & Essential Care Kits

Likewise, many people in our communities lack access to certain basic daily needs. So, several Womble offices collected diapers, water, and basic-needs supplies for the needy. They also assembled care packages and hygiene kits for local non-profits to distribute.

These small items have a meaningful impact. 

Specific projects included:

  • Albany — Working with The Grace Project to honor individuals affected by breast cancer through powerful portraiture. The Albany team’s donation was used to purchase a complete set of inks for its fine art printer, archival photographic paper, and mailing tubes used to send signed heirloom-quality portraits to participants across the country.
  • Baltimore — Partnering with the United Way to assemble more than 200 feminine hygiene kits for women who do not have access to these essential items. 
  • Boston — Collecting and assembling care package items for Rosie’s Place, a local women’s shelter. The care packages included such items as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, deodorant, soap, dental care products, hand sanitizer, and other personal care essentials. The Boston team put together 103 packages during the Day of Service. Of Counsel Jason Marshall said, “Rosie’s Place has deep roots in Boston and has for decades provided a critical safety net and community for women. It was great to join Womble colleagues in supporting an organization that helps so many women and families every day.”
  • Columbia — To recognize Womble’s 150th anniversary, the Columbia office assembled 50 hygiene and dignity kits for the Transitions Homeless Center.
  • Reno — Holding a diaper and diaper wipe drive for the Women and Children’s Center of the Sierra. Since 2008, WACCS has worked to support women as they work to escape poverty and improve their lives and the lives of their children. Their diaper bank distributes approximately 10,000 diapers monthly.
  • Washington, D.C. — Putting together hygiene kits for homeless men and women served by the Central Union Mission.
  • Winston-Salem — Assembling nearly 200 hygiene kits clients of Samaritan Ministries. The non-profit operates a 70-bed homeless shelter for men, as well as a soup kitchen open 365 days a year. 

“Participating in the Rosie’s Place project was incredibly rewarding. I’m grateful to be part of a firm that consistently finds ways to give back to our community,” said Boston Patent Coordinator Louisa Leffert. “Knowing that we came together to assemble personal hygiene bags for more than 100 women in need was inspiring and made me proud to be part of Womble. It’s a great reminder of the difference we can make when we come together to support others.”

Patent Coordinator Judith Soule: “It was fun to shop for items, picking out scents and products that I would buy for myself. It is especially important at this time, when so much funding has been cut, for companies to be involved with their communities in more than just financial donations. Womble has a social responsibility and the dedication to that is shown through things like Day of Service when the employees can be directly involved.”

Boston Partner Sarah Wilk said, “Having the chance to help people in our community who are down on their luck and need basic necessities like shampoo and toothpaste, plus have a chance to catch up with colleagues at the same time was a win-win!  We are so privileged in so many ways and finding ways to give back with our time and money is vital to ensuring strong connections in the communities we serve.”

“The population served by Rosie’s Place is underserved, vulnerable and in crisis.  Making their lives a little easier and a little better is fully in line with our firm’s values,” said Boston Partner Sarah Keefe. “This project got us all working together, having fun and enhancing our shared values. The Womble Way!”

Children, Youth & Education Support

Womble team members also spent time supporting children and families where they live, learn, and heal. Various Day of Service activities targeted educational initiatives, as well as organizations that help kids in need.

Specific projects included:

  • Charlotte — Collecting school supplies for Classroom Central, a nonprofit that provides free essential resources to educators in 227 schools across six Charlotte-region school districts. 
  • Cleveland – Visiting Providence House to do various projects. The Womble team organized and inventoried donations, painted, and did outside clean-up and landscaping. Providence House provides free, voluntary, emergency shelter to children newborn through twelve years old whose families are experiencing crisis, without changing custody.
  • Greenville — Assisting with after-school care at the YMCA Judson Community Center. Team members helped elementary school kids with reading and math. They also played games and had a Q&A session about careers in law. 
  • Houston — In addition to collecting children’s books, the Houston team built and painted two little free libraries for Literacy Now. These libraries will soon be placed in Houston neighborhoods, helping expand access to books and foster a love of reading among children and families throughout the community.
  • Irvine — Making more than 200 snack bags for children battling cancer. These will be distributed to various oncology and infusion centers in Southern California. Each of the bags also includes a hand-written note from a Womble team member.
  • New York — Assembling activity kits for children facing medical challenges. These kits, distributed through Project Sunshine, include items such as coloring books, crayons, markers, puzzle books, stickers, small toys, and journals.
  • San Francisco — Creating and donating stuffed animals to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, which serves children with cancer. Visitors from the Transatlantic Lawyers Network assisted with the project.
  • Tysons — Partnering with Second Story to provide care packages for homeless youth and families in crisis. These donations (including 20 pantry packs and 18 hygiene kits) will help provide practical support and dignity to young people and families facing challenging circumstances.

Houston Legal Practice Assistant Judy Meshell said of the Literacy Now project, “I love books and reading has always been my favorite. My grandbaby, Maddy, loves books and she loves me to read to her, but she is more fascinated in turning the pages way too fast.”

Cleveland Partner Kelly Lipinski said, “Volunteering with Providence House was an incredibly rewarding experience. Seeing the East Side campus firsthand gave our team an even greater appreciation for the thoughtful, inspiring work Providence House does to support children and families in our community.”

“The day left our team feeling grateful for the chance to connect with these remarkable students and invest in our community,” said Greenville Office Manager Deborah Stout. “It was especially meaningful because this year is also the YMCA of Greenville’s 150th anniversary.”

Older Adults

Womble team members supported older adults by providing water, care packages, meals, and basic supplies.

Specific projects included:

  • Phoenix — Donating 150 cases of water to the Justa Center, which provides life-sustaining resources, services, and support to assist homeless seniors on their path back to housing, and supportive services to help prevent seniors from becoming homeless.
  • San Diego — Packaging gift bags for low-income and homeless seniors. Everyone deserves a Halloween treat, and the San Diego team included some Halloween candy, as well as essential items such as lip balm, lotion, and wipes.
  • Tucson — Collecting bottled water for vulnerable community members, including older adults. Pima County operates a Heat Relief Network (HRN) in partnership with tribal nations, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, and businesses. The network aims to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths.

“Participating in Womble’s Day of Service always leaves me feeling grateful and energized. It is heartwarming to work side by side with colleagues to support our community, and to know that we made a meaningful difference together,” said Mary Koo, Irvine and San Diego Director of Administration. “It fills me with pride to be part of a firm that values community involvement and creates opportunities for us to make a positive impact beyond the office.”

Accessibility & Home Safety 

Womble team members also completed hands-on projects that improve safety, accessibility, and living conditions for people in their community. By rolling up their sleeves, Womble volunteers made an impact.

Specific projects included:

  • Charleston — Building a wheelchair ramp for a local homeowner. Operation Home provides critical home repairs and accessibility modifications that help low-income homeowners remain safe and independent in their homes.

Animal Welfare

While most of our efforts targeted helping people, Womble also helped community organizations care for animals and the people who love them.

Specific projects included:

  • Wilmington — Volunteering at Brandywine Valley SPCA animal shelter. Womble team members did everything from washing food bins and bowls, tending to the cat rooms, putting together e-collars, putting together food bags for those who can’t afford cat/dog food, and cleaning the facilities. Team members also showered some love on the shelter’s dogs and cats!

“It felt good to get out into the community and be a contributing and productive neighbor. It was enlightening to see inside the SPCA and better understand what they are doing and who is doing it,” said Wilmington Partner Jeff Simpson. 

Director of Administration Maryanne Interbartolo summed up Womble Bond Dickinson’s Day of Service in this way: “Doing things that improve the lives of others is important, rewarding work. Doing it alongside colleagues makes it even more fun and purposeful.”

As Womble Bond Dickinson marks 150 years, days like this one are a reminder of what got us here and what will carry us forward: a firm that shows up for its communities, together.