Stepping Stones wins Torch Award for Ethical Practices in Marketplace
Date posted: October 28, 2016
Stepping Stones is proud to be one of four 16th Annual Better Business Bureau Torch Award winners for Marketplace Ethics, presented on Thursday, October 20 at JACK Cincinnati Casino.
The Torch Award recognizes ethical practices in dealing with clients, staff and the community and is awarded to for-profit businesses and nonprofit charitable organizations that make it through a rigorous judging process. Stepping Stones won in the category of nonprofit agencies with annual revenue under $10 million.
“Winning this award validated the efforts of so many who strive to ensure that Stepping Stones adheres to ambitious ethical practices in program delivery and stewardship of our resources,” said Stepping Stones Executive Director Chris Adams.
Applicants for the Torch Award perform a detailed self-evaluation to examine their decision-making processes and businesses practices. The applications are judged by a third-party party panel.
“Every day our staff works hard to deliver the best in care for our participants,” said Adams. “The Torch Award application process was an opportunity to reflect on how well we’re doing and relearn from the challenges and successes we have had.”
Stepping Stones builds pathways to independence for 1,000 children, teens and adults with disabilities at four program sites in Cincinnati. The agency is honored to be in the company of other ethical organizations in Cincinnati.
“Our winners take great pride in ensuring an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust one another,” said Jocile Ehrlich, President and CEO of BBB I Cincinnati. “This honor is earned through an exhaustive self-evaluation. The end result is an extraordinary recognition from their peers and the community.”
The home repair agency People Working Cooperatively was named winner in the nonprofit category for agencies with revenue over $10 million. People Working Cooperatively is headquarted in Avondale and serves low income families throughout Greater Cincinnati. Torch Award winners in the for-profit business categories were Schneller Plumbing, Heating & Air, Inc. and Staley Transformations, LLC.
“At Stepping Stones, we strive for the highest standards of ethics every day,” remarked Chris Adams. “Winning the Torch Award is a reinforcement of what we believe in.”
Applications for the 2017 BBB Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics are now available online at torchapp.org. A workshop is scheduled November 17 to review the application and judging process. More information about the Torch Awards and BBB Center for Ethics is available on centerforethics.org.
About the BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2014, people turned to BBB more than 165 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for 112 local, independent BBBs across North America, as well as home to its national programs on dispute resolution, advertising review, and industry self-regulation.
From Left to Right: Stepping Stones Compliance Officer Megan Sites, Adult Day Services Manager Amanda Kay, Human Resources Director Jason Schweitzer, Facilities Director Chris Brockman, Board President John Mongelluzzo, Director of Programs Sam Allen, Executive Director Chris Adams, Board Member Jeremy Vaughan, Board and Community Liaison Moira Grainger, Special Events Coordinator Mary Ellen Lintner and former Board Member Lynn Groh.
The passing of the Torch! 2015 Nonprofit Torch Award Winner Over-the-Rhine Kitchen’s Director Pat Wakim with Stepping Stones Executive Director Chris Adams.
