September Charity Highlight: Loving Houston

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Stephan R Vonn

In Houston, Texas, there is an extraordinary partnership between churches and schools that has been facilitated by the nonprofit Loving Houston. The organization was founded with the singular goal of helping churches meet the city’s needs, namely by reaching out to the children in Houston’s school districts. Loving Houston matches churches with the schools in their neighborhood, establishing connections so the two can work together to transform people’s lives through investment opportunities such as counseling, giving, and mentorship.

Marilyn Lee, the executive director of Loving Houston, believes that the nonprofit has grown because of the Lord’s timing and the leadership’s united commitment to collaboration.

“We’re all behind the same goal,” she says. “We want to empower kids and their parents to achieve what they want or need, and we also want to empower churches to come alongside schools in a collaborative partnership.”

The point is to share resources and expertise with each other. Parents overwhelmed by working long hours and caring for their children receive gentle guidance and support. In these COVID-19 times, families in dire need of toilet paper and soap get sent home with the precious supplies. Churches open their doors to children who need reliable Internet so that they can keep up with their education.

Angelica Almaraz, a wraparound services specialist with Houston ISD, attests to the power of these churches and schools working together.

“Moms with not much education are now teachers, and they just need more encouragement,” she says. “And everyone deserves dignity. The lack of self-esteem among children is a big thing, often made worse by struggling with poverty. Any items donated helps restore that dignity.”

One family had to resort to using socks for toilet paper. Because of churches and businesses who rose to the occasion and donated COVID supplies, this family did not have to feel shame anymore. Then there was a woman who spent a week homeless with her two children, a situation she tried to hide from concerned teachers and staff who tried calling and visiting her to check in. The school personnel pooled in money and furniture to provide two-months’ free rent at a new place for her. With their help, she successfully got back on her feet.

These stories are just a snapshot of the good work happening in Houston. Despite the awful effects of the coronavirus pandemic, selflessness and kindness are still making waves. Even though everyone is struggling in their own way and dealing with their own issues, let’s remember to extend a helping hand when someone reaches out.

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July Charity Highlight: Hope International

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Stephan R Vonn

Zuma always strives to partner with a diverse group of charities. Some, like The Salvation Army, seek to meet impoverished people’s immediate needs. Others, such as Hope International, take a holistic approach to fighting poverty and social injustice. Both are important, good work, just different models of care. This month, we highlight Hope International and their long-term model for overcoming poverty.

The organization invests in underserved families all over the world to help them fulfill their dreams. Most importantly, they share about Jesus and the Christian Gospel with the people they interact with, praying that Christ’s message of hope empowers them to break out of the cycle of poverty. Their goal is to restore people’s dignity.

            To accomplish that goal, they examine four dimensions in their clients’ lives – social, spiritual, personal, and material. With offered training and discipleship, these individuals can improve in all dimensions, and they’re equipped with tools and resources to help themselves. They don’t need to rely on others; they can provide for their own families.

            Hope International has set up their model into two parts – microfinance and savings groups. They offer loans to clients for starting businesses and bring people together to save money as a community. These systems enable clients to develop independence and build institutions like schools and clinics. They learn to stand on their own feet and thrive.

Hope served over a million clients in the past year, a testament to the effectiveness of their campaign. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve had to pivot and reframe their goals. Still, their desire to empower undeserved individuals to unlock their greatest potential remains the same. Please read the following stories to witness the fruit of their work!

Eckness, a savings group client spent years building up her daycare business in Malawi. The pandemic forced her to close her business for months. Her landlord still required regular rent payments, but she had no income to make them. For years before the pandemic, Eckness had been cherishing a dream: to expand her daycare into a primary school. Weeks into lockdown, she said, “My dreams are still the same. What is holding me back is my financial status, but I am hoping on God that one day this dream will come true.” I am praying with her as she looks with hope to God as her provider.

Another example of resiliency and trust in God comes from our program in Zimbabwe. Peggie, a farmer and savings group member, has lived through a two-year drought and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Farming watermelons, Peggie shares, “has provided for us a means of livelihood and has been helping us to pay school fees for the children. In this time of Covid-19 (and the drought) most people have stopped working on their projects due to low sales and low yields, but we have taken it as a God-given time to intensify our project.” The HOPE Zimbabwe team shares that Peggie and her family have used the lockdown time to deepen their wells (their water source) and widen their fields. They have also looked outward to their community, teaching others what they know about watermelon farming.

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May Charity Highlight: The V Foundation

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Stephan R Vonn

“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”

            Those were the words of Jimmy Valvano, renowned college basketball coach and founder of the V Foundation. He had been diagnosed with cancer in 1992, and he said those poignant words during a famous speech at the 1993 ESPY Awards to encourage people to continue the good fight against cancer, disease, and whatever difficulties that may come. His motto has continued to inspire people to persevere through life’s challenges and face hardship with a spirit of joy.

            When Valvano was diagnosed with cancer, he partnered with ESPN to begin the V Foundation, an organization dedicated to championing cancer research and awareness. For the past twenty-seven years, the V Foundation has awarded one hundred percent of its donations to the pursuit of unlocking cancer’s mystery, giving upwards of $250 million to cancer research grants. There are over seventy-one cancer institutes in the country, and the V Foundation supports them all. The organization is also well-known for their meticulous attention to the process of approving cancer research grants and their honesty about where their money goes. The V Foundation targets research on the many different kinds of cancer, thus embracing the diverse groups of people who need treatment and help. What makes this organization stand out the most, however, is their platform of cancer awareness that has garnered a large following and sea of volunteers who want to work together to gain victory over this disease. They have reached a lot of cancer victims and encouraged them and their families to keep fighting.

            There are numerous opportunities for involvement with the V Foundation, including donating, volunteering, and advocating. Their transparency with their goals, mission, and strategy makes them an inviting organization to support in whatever ways possible. Go to https://www.v.org/home to see how you can join in their battle against cancer!

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March Charity Highlight: The Salvation Army

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Stephan R Vonn

During these unprecedented times, good news is more than welcome. It’s important to remember the men and women who are lifting up communities and advocating for the marginalized in a time where it can be easy to think “every man for himself.” This month’s charity highlight features The Salvation Army, a celebrated organization that has long served people without discrimination.

            An English preacher named William Booth began the organization in 1865, starting in East London. He was dubbed the group’s first “General,” and his army of volunteers grew throughout years of history and change to become one of the world’s most established charities. They’re well-known today for the Santa Clauses ringing merry bells outside grocery stores at Christmastime, but they also have a diverse range of programs that aim for long-term progress. They’re leaders in fighting homelessness by providing services that enable the homeless to secure independent lifestyles and freedom from poverty. The Salvation Army offers children’s camp programs that educate, nurture, and encourage the younger generation to reach their greatest potential. This organization even holds events like Donut Day, which remembers the nurses who made donuts at the frontlines for soldiers during World War I. There’s something for everyone to get involved in, and that’s part of the beauty of The Salvation Army.

            One other illuminating aspect of The Salvation Army’s work is their adherence to staying up and running because of people’s generous donations. They don’t receive any government funding, and all donations go straight to their direct services. Supporters can trust that every single penny is funneled into helping local communities thrive and find hope when the world feels dark.

            The Salvation Army’s mission is to serve those in crisis, whether in a local community or on a global level. Donating monetary support or volunteering at a homeless shelter are just some of the many ways for people to get involved. Everyone is offered the opportunity to reach out to their neighbors and help restore dignity to the marginalized. It’s time to invest in a mission that seeks to give hope to the hopeless.

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Monthly Charity Highlight

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Stephan R Vonn

We at ZumaOffice.com believe that business also involves doing good work within our community and the world, where we use our capital to help others and champion the marginalized. It’s important to us that we constantly highlight the charities that we support so that our true mission and vision are not forgotten.

This month, we want to highlight our charity partner St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This well-known hub of medical research and advocacy for children’s cancer treatment began with a young man’s desperate prayer. Danny Thomas, a young entertainer, asked the patron saint St. Jude Thaddeus for guidance and help. When he found success, he built St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to pay homage to the patron saint who helped him. The hospital’s doors opened on February 4, 1962, exactly 58 years from today. Thomas’ vision was to create an environment where any child – no matter their race, color, creed, or socioeconomic status – would be able to receive treatment.

Today, St. Jude remains as one of the most celebrated and respected institutions that focuses on groundbreaking research for curing pediatric diseases. We look forward to seeing how they continue to progress in their tireless pursuit of eradicating childhood cancer!

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LET’S DO GOOD WORK TOGETHER!

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Stephan R Vonn

With the beginning of the new year, it’s time to introduce the updated list of charities that we support. When we launched in December of 2009, our vision was to build a business that makes a difference and meets the needs of the people around us. Thanks to our loyal customers and the hard work of the whole ZumaOffice.com team, we have steadily continued to give half our profits to our selected charities community and cultivate our passion for serving others.

Below is a list of the charities that we will support going forward. We encourage all our customers and website visitors to check out these great organizations. You might even consider helping them through donations or volunteer work in your area.  They are all very highly rated charities with causes that give people back their dignity and care for them well.

To learn more, please visit our “Do Good Work” page.  Click on any of the charities below to go to their websites and explore. 

St. Jude Children’s Hospital – This hospital brings awareness to childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases that no child should have to suffer through. Their research and treatment programs shed light on the ways we need to advocate for children’s health.

The V Foundation –Founded by renowned basketball coach Jim Valvano, this organization proclaims victory over cancer. Their dedication to save lives from cancer has resulted in major progress with cancer research and advocacy.

Living Water International – Bringing clean water to developing countries is a major need, and LWI exemplifies the posture of serving the poorest of the poor. They emphasize the importance of finding water solutions that involve both volunteer participation and communities so that everyone gets the chance to make an impact, no matter how small.

Hope International – This Christian organization aims to equip under served populations with practical tools and training for thriving lives free of poverty. Their motivation of love and concern for these people has enabled many families to pursue their dreams.

World Vision – Individuals and families get the chance to build powerful, moving relationships with children through monthly sponsorships. Through these connections, they not only provide for children’s needs, but they also gain awareness of the world’s injustice and learn to empower these children and their communities.

The Salvation Army – This organization has a hand in multiple avenues of change, ranging from fighting poverty to giving back dignity to the hurt and lost. Their main mission is to lift up the marginalized and show the world how to do that.

Samaritan’s Purse – As a Christian humanitarian group, their goal is to help victims who have endured tragedies such as natural disasters, war, disease, and famine. The organization focuses on bringing spiritual and physical aid to them.

To all our Zuma customers – thank you. Without you, we do not exist. We would not be able to support all these charities as much as we are now without your work alongside us. Together, we can continue to Do Good Work.

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NEW line of Compatible Ink and Toner Cartridges called EXACT.

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Stephan R Vonn

Zuma is proud to introduce our NEW line of Compatible Ink and Toner Cartridges called EXACT. The EXACT brand covers over 3,000 items in more than 15 brands like HP, Lexmark, Brother and more. Take advantage of the savings and grab your FREE toner cartridge today! 

BUY 2 GET 1 FREE!

USE CODE: FREEEXACT19

Offer Valid Through 10/31/19

(This offer may NOT be combined with other offers.)

All of EXACT brand cartridges are ISO9001 certified. Meaning the highest manufacturing process has taken place for each of our manufactured cartridges. Recycled parts are used to minimize the environmental impact. Print quality is equal or exceed name brand product. We back it up with a 1 full year warranty. 50% of the profit will be donated to local charities.

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Zuma Giving Back Update – Annual Charitable Donations Made Early!

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Stephan R Vonn

ZumaOffice.com is very pleased to announce that our annual charitable contributions were sent out early this year! Zuma was founded with the purpose of giving back to help others by donating a minimum of half our profits to charity, and volunteering our time. As promised, here is our annual update to let you know how we are doing.

Thanks to our loyal customers and the hard work of the whole ZumaOffice.com team, we are proud to make our largest cash donations for the second year in a row. Since our founding, Zuma has now donated over $110,000 to great charities that do good work every day. Through the Central Texas Food Bank alone, we have donated over 60,000 meals through cash contributions and our annual food drive.

ZumaOffice.com has donated over 60,000 meals to Central Texans!

“Everyone at Zuma loves this time of year when donation checks go out because it’s why we are in business,” said Greg Pierce, President of ZumaOffice.com. “With our recent merger with Buy On Purpose, we are thrilled to have joined with a company that has the same business purpose to donate a minimum of half of profits to charity. The combined companies will do even greater good work together in the years to come.”

Below is a list of the top charities who received donations from Zuma this year in order of the amount of our support. They are all very highly rated charities, most all donations they receive go directly to the cause, and they provide services and support in areas important to Zuma staff and our customers:

  1. Austin Women and Children Shelter & The Salvation Army – Humanitarian Aid
  2. The V Foundation for Cancer Research – Cancer Research
  3. Prison Entrepreneurship Program – Prison Mentorship and Education
  4. SIMS Foundation – Austin Musician Mental Health Services
  5. Big Brothers Big Sisters – Child Mentoring Programs
  6. Central Texas Food Bank – Hunger Relief
  7. Best Friends Animal Society – Pets & Animal Rescue

To learn more about any of these life changing organizations, please visit our “Do Good Work” page. This page details Zuma’s business model and our business purpose to donate a minimum of half our total profits to great charities. Click on any of the charity links, go to their websites and explore.

“Knowing the legacy of giving back will continue with the leadership of Simon Lee and the new team, my wife Carrie and I are very blessed to know that Zuma will keep doing good work,” added Mr. Pierce. “Taking something as routine as ordering office supplies and turning it into a way of helping those less fortunate is a win-win-win for all!”

Thank you to all our wonderful Zuma customers! Without you we do not exist. Together we Do Good Work!

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ZumaOffice.com and Buy On Purpose Merge to Do More Good Work

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Stephan R Vonn

Houston, TX – Buy On Purpose, a full-service office supply provider based in Houston, TX, announced today that ZumaOffice.com, a nationwide office supply e-tailer based in Austin, TX, has merged with the company.   The combined businesses will continue to operate as separate entities in the marketplace to best serve the needs of their distinct customers.  However, there are significant synergies that will be created by combining operational, marketing and backend functions that will benefit both organizations.

“We are very thankful for this merger of two great companies.  This allows both organizations to grow and to give back to our communities, and it will be a great honor for both teams to work together for a greater cause,” said Simon Lee, President and Founder of Buy On Purpose.

Both Buy On Purpose and ZumaOffice.com have a business purpose to give back by donating half of their profits to life-changing charitable organizations.  This unique vision and purpose will now produce even greater results with the combined focus, size and scale of the two companies.

Greg Pierce, President and CEO of ZumaOffice.com said, “We are thrilled to combine our forces with a company as compassionate and dedicated to their customers as Buy On Purpose.  After 10 years of helping our customers “Do Good Work”, and supporting great charities who truly make a difference, we are proud to see our legacy continue with Simon Lee and his incredible team at Buy On Purpose.”

The transition will take place over the next few months, and the headquarters of the combined organizations will be located in Houston, TX.  Customers from both companies can expect the same top-rated customer service and support, as both the ZumaOffice.com and BuyonPurpose.com websites will continue to take care of the unique needs of each company’s customer base.

In a joint statement, Mr. Lee and Mr. Pierce concluded, “The only constant in the office supply industry is change, and we know in order to thrive today it’s important to get larger in scale and to diversify.  By combining the successful ecommerce business model of ZumaOffice.com with Buy On Purpose’s independent dealer model, there are synergies which will spur growth and help serve our customers better.  The amazing fact that both companies give back half of their profits to charity made this combination almost too good to be true.”

Buy On Purpose has been giving back and serving business customers in the greater Houston, TX area since 2004.  ZumaOffice.com has been serving customers and “doing good work” nationwide since 2009.  Both companies are in business to help others through giving back, and both provide customers over 50,000 products ranging from office supplies and technology products, to office furniture, break room and janitorial supplies.

For any questions or inquiries, please contact Greg Pierce at gpierce@zumaoffice.com or 512-373-8079, or contact Simon Lee, President and Founder of Buy On Purpose at simon.lee@buyonpurpose.com or 713-484-7300.

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Zuma & Local Schools team with Central Texas Food Bank for another successful Food Drive!

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Stephan R Vonn

ZumaOffice.com, Vandegrift High School and Four Points Middle School had another incredible Holiday Food Drive supporting the Central Texas Food Bank.  The 7th Annual event, spearheaded by Zuma and the VHS Boys Basketball team, collected 2,109 lbs. of food which equals 1,758 meals for hungry Central Texans at a time when the food bank has an increased demand for food.

Since the food drive’s modest beginnings in 2012, over 13,902 pounds of food totaling 11,585 meals has been collected.  What made this year’s food drive so successful was the enlistment of over 12 different VHS organizations to all get involved with the basketball team to raise awareness for the food drive and get students excited to help others.

Zuma and Central Texas Food Bank Staff load up tons of food!

“While all the organizations did an incredible job collecting donations, special thanks go out to the National Honor Society who exceeded all expectations by bringing in an amazing amount of food,” said VHS Basketball Coach Cliff Ellis who has been a driving force of the food drive since inception.

“Special thanks and recognition also goes to Kirsten Mulligan who really got the whole school involved in the holiday spirit of giving back, and got the visibility of what we are doing raised throughout the school.”

Kimina Jamison, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Central Texas Food Bank said their organization was again thrilled by the generous donations from VHS and FPMS again this year.  “The Zuma and Vandegrift High School annual food drive continues to surprise the food bank with their incredible generosity each year.  To raise 1,750 meals for needy families during this time of year goes so far in helping us with our mission to feed hungry Central Texans.”

“We are really proud and honored by the efforts everyone made in turning this holiday season into one of the most charitable we’ve seen to date,” said Greg Pierce, President of Zuma Office.

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