FRISCO, Texas) December 3, 2020 - When high school senior Orly Cohen, and her 8th grade brother, Avi Cohen, saw all the political signs in yards around DFW, they wondered how people would dispose of them. Their mom, Mara, who works at FASTSIGNS International, Inc. shared that FASTSIGNS centers can sometimes reuse materials. They called Brian Camp with FASTSIGNS® of Frisco, TX, who said he would love to take the signs and repurpose them for a golf tournament that he sponsors annually.
“I am very impressed with Orly and Avi's commitment to service. Their creativity in dreaming up a project to repurpose campaign signs is inspirational,” said Brian Camp. “Their act of giving back has inspired me to look for more opportunities to help support local Frisco charities using their contribution.”
Giving back isn’t a one-time occurrence for the Cohen family. They’ve actually made it an annual tradition they fold into their holiday festivities. “Every year, our family does something called a Give and Get Hanukkah. Instead of receiving 8 nights of gifts, about 10 years ago, my mom implemented this new idea. We have 4 nights of getting gifts (1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th night). And then the alternate nights, my brother and I would participate in some sort of good deed giving project,” said Orly. “We've done many things over the years, including baking brownies for the fire station near our house, donating meals to soldiers in Israel, and making meals at the Ronald McDonald house. Even though this sign recycling project wasn't quite during the week of Hanukkah, we decided to count it and incorporate it into our giveback efforts this year. ”
To get the word out, Orly and Mara used social media to spread awareness about what they were collecting. Mara posted on a community Facebook page while Orly posted on her own personal page. They received an overwhelming response and spent one Sunday afternoon collecting signs all over North Dallas from central Dallas to Richardson and Plano to Frisco. The full family affair included Orly driving with her mom, brother and their pup, Brody, as passengers.
“Others were just as eager to participate in this type of project as we were! Even those who didn't have signs cheered us on and showed their love and support for my brother and I fulfilling this good deed,” said Orly. “I never knew that these signs could be reused. Brian also said he would use the stakes that hold the signs as scrap metal for other projects, so I was surprised to learn that the entire sign would be fully recycled!”
An active youth in the community, Orly is on the board of her Jewish Youth organization called B'nei Brith Youth Organization (BBYO). She has been involved and been a leader in this community for the last 5 years.
“I recognize that we are the future leaders and I want to show younger kids the importance of giving back, of helping others, of helping to keep the world safe and sustainable. My brother is just starting out in this youth organization in 8th grade, and I see how he looks up to me and my friends in what we do to get involved in our community.”
When asked what she would share with other young people interested in giving back, she shared the following: “I would say, talk to your parents first. They are the best and most capable resource to help you get started. If that's not an option, reach out to your local organizations such as the YMCA, Church groups or other community organizations. They have wonderful advisors who would love to help you give back.”
About FASTSIGNS
FASTSIGNS® of Frisco, TX is a locally and independently owned and operated sign, graphics and visual communications company that provides comprehensive visual marketing solutions to customers of all sizes—across all industries—to help them attract more attention, communicate their message, sell more products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points including décor, events, wearables, digital signage and marketing materials. To learn more, visit fastsigns.com/2252 or (469) 535-6174.