Many say a mother's love is like no other, especially when you’re not feeling your best, but moms need love too. That’s why just before Mother’s Day weekend, Russell CARES volunteers, employees from the formalized community engagement arm of H.J. Russell & Company (Russell), helped patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding Hospital show love for their mothers by doing various love-themed activities with them in the lobby of the downtown hospital. The Russell CARES volunteers did arts and crafts, played games, and colored with the patients while enjoying lunch provided by Chick-fil-A at Vine City. 

“At the heart of Russell is our commitment to the community,”said Michael Russell, CEO, Russell.“Our company’s philanthropic focus is to enhance the lives of Atlanta’s youth, so choosing the location of the first, official Russell CARES community volunteer experience was easy. What better way to spend the day than by bringing smiles to the faces of Hughes Spalding patients and their mothers.”

In addition to being able to make love-themed crafts for their mothers and other beloved family members, more than 75 patients received their very own set of interactive Playtime Bed Sheets donated by Russell. The sheet sets, which have games and learning tools printed directly on them, along with gift bags filled with goodies, were also delivered by Russell’s CEO, and other Russell CARES volunteers directly to those children who were patients admitted into the hospital. 

"We are thankful to H.J. Russell and Company and the Russell CARES initiative for their generosity and exciting event benefiting the patients at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding," said Scott Hodoval, Vice President, Development for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "As a nonprofit, we rely on the donations of our community in order to meet the needs of the growing pediatric population in Georgia. H.J. Russell and Company and the Russell family have a long standing and invaluable relationship with Children’s and thanks to our community partners like Russell CARES, we are able to achieve our mission of making kids better today and healthier tomorrow.”

Russell’s history with Hughes Spalding runs deep. Two of the three Russell children (H. Jerome and Michael) of the late Atlanta business leader, philanthropist and construction icon, Herman J. Russell (1930-2014) and his wife, the late Otelia Hackney Russell (1930-2006) were born at Hughes Spalding. In 2010, the Hughes Spalding lobby was named after Mrs. Russell, and in 2016, the Emergency Room was named after Lovette Twyman Russell, the wife of Michael Russell. She was also born at Hughes Spalding and currently serves as the chair of the Hughes Spalding Community Foundation Board.

“Streamlining all of our philanthropy under the Russell CARES umbrella allows us to more effectively deliver meaningful programs to organizations like Hughes Spalding as well as respond to community requests for support,” said Paul Bryant, Director of External Affairs, Russell. “We are honored to have the opportunity to positively impact the community, one child at a time.”