Watching Cornerstone employees in Memphis get ready for their annual Youth Villages Holiday Heroes photo is a lot of fun. Dressed in all shades of red and green, wearing reindeer antlers – Santa hats – elf ears – and yes….even a dog hat with jingle bells…they spill out of the elevator and stair wells into the first floor lobby carrying wrapped Christmas presents – Christmas signs - and even a poinsettia (borrowed from the office upstairs). Laughter breaks out as someone’s antlers light up, and again when someone’s giant Santa hat swallows up their head. And when its time to shoot the photo, they nestle in together as a group and proudly smile. Eager to be a part of this incredible Youth Village program, Cornerstone employees line up year after year to “adopt” and sponsor children in need. This year employees “adopted” a record 40 boys and girls through the annual Youth Villages Holiday Hero program. Each child supplies a wish list and volunteer “heroes” spend approximately $75 per child so that each child receives gifts of equal value. Happy Feet DVD’s, colorful bikes and scooters (complete with Spiderman elbow pads, knee pads and helmet), hot wheels cars, Transformer action figures, Barbie dolls, etc., basically whatever was on their wish list and more….employees shopped, wrapped and delivered carload after carload of gifts for the children in time for their celebration. Youth Villages is a nonprofit organization that has developed an array of nationally recognized programs and services for troubled children and their families. Most of these children are struggling with difficult pasts and uncertain futures. Some children do not have families and would not have Christmas without this program. Cornerstone is a proud corporate sponsor and partner of Youth Villages. www.youthvillages.org

With a twinkle in his eye and a welcoming smile, Jim Wiskur (Cornerstone Prairie Village, KS) once again greeted holiday shoppers this year representing the Red Kettle campaign for the Salvation Army. For the past 30 years, Jim has stood in good weather and bad weather, ringing the bell and collecting money for those in need. The Salvation Army reported an unprecedented need this Christmas due to the mortgage crisis, home heating price increases and overall economic uncertainty. Each year Jim and his wife Jacque also “adopt” a family through the Salvation Army and this year they were honored to help out a single mother with 3 girls (ranging from 8 to 13 years old). The girls wished for an MP3 player, a DVD player and a Bratz Head, along with gift cards from Payless Shoes. The mom wished for a new comforter and/or a fishing pole. Jim and his wife not only covered all of their wish lists but lovingly added a gift certificate for food at a local grocery store. Cornerstone is proud of their employees and their volunteer efforts in local communities across the nation. www.salvationarmyusa.org

Proud to support our troops, Cornerstone offices across the country also sent 400 hundred signed Christmas cards to the U.S. Troop Support Foundation to assist their efforts. As of December 2007, the U.S. Troop Support Foundation reports they have sent more than 110,000 care packages, 340,000 letters and 48,000 phone cards to more than 145,000 troops from all branches of the service. U.S Troop Support Foundation is a grass roots non-political foundation that was started in January 2003 by the parents of a 20-year old U.S. Marine being deployed to Kuwait. Later that year the young man crossed over into Iraq and has since completed several tours in combat. www.ustroopsupport.com

Thank you notes from soldiers in Iraq