Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/135515
ABMP Member Profile By Jed Heneberry Make Giving Back Part of Your Practice For the 15th anniversary of their practice (All About Massage, Inc. of Palm Desert, California), owners Kelly and Masaru Yamada decided to honor the occasion by stepping up the spa's charitable efforts. "We're thankful that we're here, that we've lasted this long, and to our clients and our community for supporting us all this time," Kelly Yamada says. "We felt this was an appropriate way to celebrate." Here are some tips from Yamada about making charity part of your practice. Make It Personal Choose charities that mean something to you and your clients. Yamada chose a local charity (St. Margaret's Outreach Center), two national healthrelated charities (American Heart Association, American Red Cross), and a charity that supported one of her clients (National Multiple Sclerosis Society). Make It a Habit All About Massage donated 15 percent of its earnings on the 15th day of each month to a different charity. "We had donated gift certificates in the past," Yamada says, "but we wanted to make this special and different." Consider creating a consistent charity day for your practice, and let your clients know about it. Make It a Group Effort Team members at All About Massage participated with St. Margaret's Outreach Center (a charity that provides food, clothing, and shelter) by offering chair massage to those who came to receive assistance. Team members also participated in the local Walk to End MS event. "It was important to develop a relationship with these charities," Yamada says. "What we did varied depending on what they needed." Members of the team from All About Massage walked as part of Deb's Posse at the Desert Cities, California, Walk to End MS event. Different Strokes: the voice of ABMP EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week Want to find your charitable path? Consider coordinating an event for ABMP's annual EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week, July 14–20. By lending your hands to this event, you help educate the public about the value of therapeutic massage, why it is beneficial, and what it can do to relieve pain and stress. More importantly, you'll simply be doing good work. See more about this event on page 1.