Over the past few months, our Federal Contracting Group (FCG) has been busy participating in a number of community impact events focused on supporting under-resourced members of our community and building and maintaining a culture of inclusion and belonging within the office.
During Construction Inclusion Week in October, FCG team members collected cans to donate to Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), a nonprofit that runs Minnesota’s largest food bank. VEAP supports local communities by serving more than 7,000 people every month with its food pantry, children and youth services, social services, and transportation programs.
Before donating 740 pounds of food, the team split into two groups and competed to build the best structures using the cans they had collected over the course of the week. Team A constructed a towering lighthouse fully equipped to emit light from a rotating lamp atop the structure and accompanied by lighthouse sound effects. Team B constructed a hardy bulldozer designed with two continuous tracks at the base and a front blade.
By holding a friendly competition, the team learned to appreciate and enjoy diverse backgrounds and views, boosted their creativity, and broadened their horizons. It was a great way to support the community and build a positive workplace culture!
In November, the team partnered with their project design partner, Leo A Daly, to volunteer at Second Harvest Heartland. Second Harvest Heartland works to combat food insecurity in Minnesota and Wisconsin. During this event, the group packed 10,268 pounds of food, equating to 8,557 meals. This included 48 bags of onions, 183 boxes of apples, and 22 bags of potatoes! “This was a special Community Impact opportunity that showed our company values of Stewardship and Teamwork,” said Amy, a Federal Contracting team member, “Together we were happy to give back to the community and make a positive difference.”
As winter approached, FCG paired up with the Power, Engineering and Storage Group to collect new and gently used winter coats for the Salvation Army. The teams collected 90 coats to donate to the Justin Morneau Winter Warm-Up Coat Drive!
For our Federal Contracting Group, establishing and maintaining a positive workplace culture means that everyone gets to experience a workplace that is inclusive and respectful.
We know that a good culture leads to increased safety and more productivity, providing higher value to our clients and allowing each and every worker to perform their best work. Community impact events provide opportunities to continue maintaining the culture of belonging and inclusion for team members while supporting our local communities.
To learn more about our nonprofit partners and support their missions, click here: VEAP, Second Harvest Heartland, Salvation Army North.