Community is a part of everything we do, and being a part of the bigger picture is an investment in the future and a civic duty we truly enjoy.
We’re telling you about this to set an example. We believe businesses should support the places that support them. And if you’re hiring us, you deserve to know what kind of people you’re hiring.
Here are a few examples of our favorite ways to show up:
Kate’s been bringing her family to the Downtown Glens Falls Cleanup Day for a decade and a half, and pitching in with the organizing for nearly as long. Nothing feels more full of hometown goodness than a bunch of volunteers sweeping the streets, and it’s a tradition that goes back to Kate’s roots in Vermont with “Green Up Day.” She even organized one in Rutland, Vermont, in her twenties.
Every spring, we sponsor a Glens Falls Little League team. We love going to the games and cheering Team Advokate on, seeing our name on the back of their shirts, and hearing the kids chant, “One-Two-Three, ADVOKATE!”
You’ll find us out and about at galas, fundraisers, community events, and plays, especially when it’s one of our own on stage or a nonprofit we care about. Our team outings range from sound baths at the yoga studio down the street to neighborhood events like Take A Bite to dress-up galas with cocktails and sparkly dresses. The folks at Advokate are big time supporters of all things local, especially the arts, and we take care of each other, too.
Kate is deeply involved in the creative community. She’s been part of the Adirondack Theatre Festival’s “Tooning In” gallery for more than a decade, and performs in PlayFest every year. She’s often spotted at gallery receptions, local openings, and behind the scenes of community projects. Advokate is a proud member of LARAC and NorthCountryARTS, and we’ve worked with just about every arts organization in town.
We host holiday get-togethers for our office building neighbors (Gina brings the magic with her festive touches), and we love helping young creatives find their path. We’ve hosted interns, job shadow days, and spoken at high schools, colleges, BOCES, and SUNY Adirondack. We present regularly at job fairs, classroom panels, and SUNY Adirondack’s Startup ADK program. Kate’s even served as an judge for Camp 2030, a global innovation summit.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
Kate co-founded the Arts District of Glens Falls and played a key role in bringing its public art to life. She launched Glens Falls Vegan to make it easier to eat local as a vegan (and drive tourism), and she founded Glens Falls Queen Team, organizing two Women’s Marches and other activist events. She helped start Lower Adirondack Pride, designed their logo, and sponsored their first festival. She served for years on the board of The Bridge (the organization that preceded it), was co-president of NorthCountryARTS, chaired its Colors of Fall Festival, and currently serves on the board of the Glens Falls BID, chairs its Communications Committee, hosts and attends every meeting of the Glens Falls Collaborative, and sits on the advisory council of the World Awareness Children’s Museum.
She’s also the kind of person who sees a need and steps up. During the pandemic, she started Greater Glens Falls Mutual Aid. She co-founded O’Brien’s Angels. She runs the Downtown Glens Falls Facebook page, the Lake George Area Locals Answer Visitor Questions Facebook group and many other local groups. She’s active in her kids’ school PTA, donates her design work to countless causes, and coached Odyssey of the Mind three times.
As a business, we stay just as involved. We attend City meetings, speak up at roundtables, help with tourism strategy, and lend our time and skills to nonprofits and grassroots efforts. We are often found donating our wok to causes we believe in, and we shape our services around what clients truly need, not just what we can sell.
We’re here to do good work for good people, and that extends far beyond what’s on our invoices.
When you hire Advokate, you’re supporting all of this. Every website, logo, or campaign we create helps fuel the work we do in our community. We don’t separate business and doing good. They go hand in hand.
We believe this is what business should look like. Giving back, lifting others up, and investing in the places that make your work possible. It’s not extra. It’s essential.
So thank you for choosing us, for believing in this kind of work, and for being part of something bigger.
