Paralegal Sharon Lebowitz said that her former boss, Jack Zeldes, inspired her to make a difference in the world. Zeldes, a titan in Connecticut legal circles and the found of Zeldes, Needle & Cooper in Bridgeport, died in September, but Lebowitz wanted his legacy of outreach to live on.

So this month, she and other employees at the firm got involved in a Red Cross program called the Holiday Mail for Heroes. The program involves members of the public sending holiday greetings to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and bases around the world.