2013 Choice Employers, Community Involvement Champion: Chuck Renner

Chuck Renner, owner of Advantage Therapy LLC, believes giving back to the community is critical for the success not only of the community, but also of the business.

“The Springfield community is an important component of my business, my job and my life. Working in the health care industry affords me many opportunities to give back to the community and it is my goal to do so to the undeserved families in our area,” Renner says.

“Community involvement spreads like wildfire at Advantage.”

Renner and his staff donate time and money to organizations such as Care To Learn, The Kitchen Clinic and Northview Senior Center.

At Boys and Girls Town of Missori, Renner and his crew buy Christmas gifts each year for 15 to 20 older teens. Each fall, Renner also arranges an ice cream social for them to enjoy.

“When school starts, I order Andy’s ice cream for the kids … and lead a caravan of my ice cream-loving employees to their cafeteria on campus to serve ice cream to the kids and to sit and talk with the kids about their school day or anything else that the kids want to share,” Renner says. “My co-workers love spending time with these kids and showing them that we care about them.”

After learning about the Southwest Missouri Office on Aging’s Senior Health and Wellness Expo, Renner started free balance training classes at the Northview Senior Center.

“The therapist that led the class has become more passionate about connecting with seniors about their balance issues and helping to address those deficiencies before a fall occurs,” he says.

“We have heard the seniors feel more confident after attending the class.”

Renner’s service attitude isn’t confined to the Ozarks. For the past six years, Renner has been involved with Medical Aid for Children of Latin America.

Traveling with a team of 25 to Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic, he has assisted a group of plastic surgeons and helped provide post-surgical splinting to children having surgery for congenital hand deformations, trauma, or burn and scar reconstruction. Renner said he volunteers about 80 hours annually with the group and donates about $5,000.

“At certain times in life, we all need a helping hand to some degree,” he says. “We need to look less at laws and legislation to meet the needs of our community and look more toward people and businesses to help meet those needs.

“It is important to show that even a small company can make a large difference. You don’t have to wait until you have $1 million to give a dollar, just start by giving that dollar.”[[In-content Ad]]