Meet the Local Programs We Support | Part One

In both our personal and professional lives, we strive to always leave things better than we found them. With this mantra in mind, we watch for opportunities to benefit the communities we live and work in. Throughout the years, we’ve become involved with several different programs and organizations in Ohio. And we want you to meet the communities that have become so near and dear to us.

Looking for ways to give back this holiday season? We encourage you to get to know these worthy organizations and support them in whatever ways you can. Together, we can strengthen our communities and spread the joy of Christmas.

The Ambassador Company

At Mae Fence, we believe a community is only as strong as its leaders. The Ambassador Company strives to make better leaders of us all by giving businesses the resources needed to get involved. 

This organization administers character education programs in local schools. These events are made possible through sponsorship and funding from nearby businesses and community leaders. The Ambassador Company has been around since the late 1930s, which means they are intimately familiar with local educational needs and the best ways to fill them. 

Through their tireless efforts, The Ambassador Company benefits communities, families, and sponsors. At their events, schoolchildren receive a gorgeous hardbound book based upon the values of our nation’s founders. Ultimately, children are encouraged to embody character traits that will embolden them for a successful future. 

If your business is looking for ways to support its local community, we believe The Ambassador Company is the best place to start. Mae Fence is proud to have supported such an effective and worthwhile cause. 

Ashlie’s Embrace

In 2015, Erin and Anthony Maroon said goodbye to their firstborn child: Ashlie Cathran, who was stillborn. Amidst their heartbreak and despair, the family had less than one hour to hold their beautiful daughter before she was taken to the hospital’s cold room. They were unable to bathe or change her, or to properly say goodbye to their first and only child.

Since then, the Maroons have pushed to gather resources and raise awareness about a device that would have granted them more time with Ashlie. The device is called a CuddleCot™and it enables hospitals to keep stillborn babies cool, preserving the infants’ appearance and dignity. This allows grieving families to spend more time with their loved ones before saying goodbye.

A member of the Mae Fence family became a passionate advocate for Ashlie’s Embrace after losing her own baby. When she brought the cause to our attention, we knew immediately that it was an organization we also wanted to support. Every year, we try to attend their annual golf outing to help generate donations, in addition to making regular donations ourselves.

If you would like to learn more about Ashlie’s Embrace, located in North Canton, OH, please visit their website. There, you can discover ways to donate, organize a fundraiser, and find other ways to give. 

Rubber Boot Mission

Rick and Becky Landis have been quietly supporting Cardington-Lincoln local schools for over a decade. Last year, they purchased new shoes for a boy (and his brother) who they noticed was wearing rubber boots to school. This interaction inspired the Landis’ to broaden their impact by hosting a Christmas fundraiser.

The first fundraiser was held in December of ‘22 at local bar and restaurant 1836. Rick’s band, Steamtown Road, provided entertainment for the night and the couple hoped to raise around $1000. Instead, they went home with over $5k to support local schools and identify the needs of individual students. 

Now named the Rubber Boot Mission, this fundraiser has become an annual event and is supported by a committee of community members, including the Landis’. This year’s event was held on Nov 4th and surpassed its fundraising goal of $10k.

Members of the community, along with local businesses, rallied to gather a whopping $17k in support of the Rubber Boot Mission and Cardington-Lincoln schools. Mae Fence was deeply honored to contribute to this fundraising event and to help Rubber Boot Mission further its effort to improve the lives of local students, both in and out of the classroom.

Why We Choose to Give

We hope you’ll stay tuned for our follow-up to this article. But before you go, we want to leave you with a few thoughts on why we choose to give. 

At Mae Fence, we have the privilege of showing up, boots on the ground, in neighborhoods all over Ohio. We’ve seen firsthand how beautiful and ripe with potential the communities of Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and beyond truly are. 

Like you, we want to see these neighborhoods meet their potential and continue to thrive. That is why we give, in big ways and small; so we can leave our children and yours with an even better Ohio.