“My clients and family are the reason we have been successful,” Green said, as he thanked clients and other golfers for participating. Green Financial Resources was awarded both Small Business of the Year and Family-Owned Business of the Year for 2016, by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. “Our employees are wonderful, service-minded people, and we’re grateful for them,” Green added.
Proceeds from this year’s golf tournament and raffle, as is true every year, go to the Auditory Verbal Center, Inc. The center is credited with giving Green’s son Michael the gifts of hearing and speech more than 20 years ago when he was a young child. Since then, the Center has been able to give those same gifts to children born with partial to complete deafness.
Roger and Laura Green (center) with the staff at Green Financial ResourcesMichael, who for two months now has worked in the family business, is young and exuberant, as well as eloquent and clear in his speech. Just recently, he assumed the role of Chairman of the Junior Board at Auditory Verbal Center. Coincidentally, his father is the Chairman of the Board for the Center. Both men are passionate about the possibilities that are opened to a child who received the gifts of hearing, speech, and the understanding of language. “The ability to hear and speak gives a child the opportunity to do whatever they want in life,” Michael said. The man is a testament to his own words, having graduated Mercer University with the highest GPA in his class, and earning a Masters degree in Finance from Georgia State University.
With the most profound cases of deafness, said Debbie Brilling, Executive Director and CEO of AVC, a cochlear implant is surgically placed in a child’s ear. Trained therapists (719 nationwide) then teach that child to speak and more importantly, they teach that child the meaning of words and the understanding of language. “I started (at AVC) as a mom with two deaf kids,” Brilling shared. “Once my children graduated, I began volunteering at the Center. After a time, I was offered the position of Director of Development and ultimately, CEO. Currently, I wear both of those hats.”
Green Financial donated $50,000 to the Auditory Verbal Center (AVC). Pictured is Roger Green and Debbie Brilling, Executive Director and CEO of AVC.As is true of any parent whose child has received the gifts of opportunity and possibility, Brilling cannot say enough about the Center, nor about the Greens. “Roger and (wife) Laura are just good people. They’re caring and passionate, and they’ve done so much for many children through their support of AVC,” Brilling said, adding that without that help and the help of donors, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children would be forever trapped in a silent world. “How do you thank someone for a gift like that?” she asked.
With that generous help, AVC now offers two locations for therapy, one in Atlanta and one in Macon. Recently, Teletherapy was added to the list of AVC’s resources. Audio-Verbal Teletherapy offers therapy conducted virtually, allowing children from other areas of the state to receive the life-changing assistance that the Center offers. AVC therapy includes families in the process, as well, immersing the hearing-impaired child in the richness of everyday language.
Green Financial donated $5,000 to the Friends of Gwinnett County Seniors. Pictured is Roger Green, Gary Galloway and Jennifer Orton – all members of the Friends of Gwinnett County Senior Services Board.The golf tournament was followed by a catered dinner, and participants learned a little more about the AVC, as well as about deafness. For instance, about 3 out of every 1000 children are born deaf, and even more, lose their hearing in early childhood. Almost 50 million Americans live with hearing loss, and those with even mild hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia. Teen hearing loss has increased 30 percent, due in part to the widespread use of headphones and ear “buds.” Because of the rise in hearing loss among people of all ages, tournament participants and guests were treat-ed to free hearing screenings during this September event.
At the end of the evening’s festivities, a grand total of $55,000 had been raised, benefiting both AVC ($50,000) and Friends of Gwinnett Seniors ($5000). “This was by far our best event ever, fitting in the year that Roger turns 50 and I turned 55. Also, 2017 marks Roger’s 30-year anniversary of helping people with their money. It’s been a big year for us, and we are so happy to have been able to achieve this result,” said Laura.
To learn more about Green Financial Resources, visit www.rogersgreen.com. To learn more about the Auditory Verbal Center, visit www.avchears.org. To learn about friends of Gwinnett Seniors, another beneficiary of the Greens’ generosity, visit www.friendsofgwinnettseniors.org.
Securities offered through Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Green Financial is not affiliated with Cetera Advisors. Awards cannot be considered a guarantee of future success, nor an endorsement.
