Community.

What comes to mind when we think of a community, and more specifically our community? Maybe it’s the neighborhood you chose to live in that came fully loaded with kids and their parents that host weekly barbeques. Or it’s the families of your child's fellow students, and people that also fell in love with the surrounding area. Maybe it's just a group of random humans you just happen to co-exist with. Webster defines community as “a unified body of individuals such as the people with common interests living in a particular area”, but it is so much more than all of these.

Being part of a community is having relationships with people outside of your mandated family members and co-workers. It’s the man in the grocery store that you see every Tuesday that makes sure to ask how your dog is doing, and the coffee shop you and your best friend go to every weekend to catch up. It’s the trail you walk to escape real life for a short time. It’s supporting those around you for the big and the small moments and being there in times of need because you know they would do the same for you.

Vanguard Skin Specialists and clara understand that being part of a community is so much more than just existing in the same area. That it is important to help those around us. When Dr. Vinh Chung and Leisle Chung started Vanguard, it was very important to them that they do what they can to help as many people as possible, including those that couldn’t come into the offices as patients. This was the seed that would grow to be “Give Thanks”, a program that gives donations to organizations locally and globally that strive to help people in need.

“We love living and serving in Colorado Springs, and it is out of our gratitude that we decided to start Give Thanks. It’s our way of thanking the charities that make southern Colorado a special place. We have a simple application process for charities, and then our team members help award grants to many deserving organizations each year. Over the years, we have been able to recognize meaningful charities throughout southern Colorado. From helping foster kids to supporting domestic violence victims to helping the homeless, these charities and their volunteers truly make a difference”- Leisle Chung, CEO.

This year Vanguard Skin Specialists and clara opened rolling applications for charities that fall under the following categories.

- Category 1: Locally based organization with national or international beneficiaries:

- Reduce extreme poverty by addressing root causes of poverty.

- Improve the rights and opportunities for women and girls so that they can receive an education, livelihood, and life free from abuse.

- provide individuals with clean water, food, shelter, and medical care in a manner that promotes long-term, sustainable community improvement.

- End the trafficking of humans.

Category 2: Organization that serves beneficiaries located in Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Pueblo, or Teller Counties:

- Serve vulnerable children and youth

- Break the cycle of poverty

- Improve access to healthcare

- Protect human rights

- Honor those who have served our community and country

2024 is a special year as it marks 15 years of service for Vanguard Skin Specialists, and to thank the communities we work in, Give Thanks will be awarding 15 grants of $15,000 to each charity selected. This will be the largest grant year-to-date with a total of $225,000 being awarded.

Give Thanks is something that everyone here at Vanguard and clara is passionate about as it gives a deeper meaning to everything we do.

“Each year, normally during the holiday season, Vanguard Skin Specialists will open applications for Give Thanks. Non-profit and charity organizations that benefit those in the communities that we serve patients can apply for grants. The Vanguard Selection Committee, which I am a part of, nominates organizations for the Vanguard Impact Award. I have been honored to work on a selection committee for the past two years. By being on the selection committee, I can connect with those in our communities that are making a difference and hear what the Give Thanks grants mean to them and their organizations.

It makes me proud to be able to work with a company that gives back to those that are making a difference in our communities. The Give Thanks campaign is just one of the ways that Vanguard makes a positive impact on our patients and community!” - Jamie Schilling, SERVE Committee. With Give Thanks being just one way Vanguard Skin Specialists and clara gives back to the community and world, it makes what we do here truly special and inspiring. If you would like to know more about Give Thanks or the application process, you can visit the Vanguard Skin Specialists website this link.

clara

Phone: 719-579-5555

Email: hello@shopclara.com

Address: 9348 Grand Cordera Pkwy Ste 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80924