Team building exercise supports amputees in developing countries
Oak Ridge, N.J., November 2, 2016 – Lakeland Bank’s board of directors participated in a group experience called “Helping Hands” at their recent annual strategic planning session. The corporate-team building activity raises awareness for people in developing countries around the world that are in desperate need of prosthetic hands.
“Our board has worked together for some time, but this activity challenged our ability to truly collaborate as a team to achieve a specific goal,” said Thomas Shara, President and CEO, Lakeland Bank. “And knowing that we were helping people in need in the process was very rewarding.”
Helping HandsTM is the award-winning project that puts prosthetic hands on amputees in developing countries while building purpose-driven teams and leaders. Project participants fund and build life-saving LN-4 prosthetic hands needed by thousands of people around the world who cannot afford such a life changing device. To date, groups have donated and built over 24,000 hands for recipients in 75 countries. The Lakeland board of directors worked in teams of three to build four LN-4 prosthetic hands.
“While our team benefited from the group activity, actually constructing a prosthetic hand for someone who so desperately needs one was a very powerful personal experience,” said Mary Ann Deacon, Chairman of the Board, Lakeland Bancorp.
