On a Mission to Serve Others

Every week, about 240 families in Byron Township, Mich., get access to quality food they otherwise would not be able to afford. But this is no ordinary food pantry. It was started by Buist Electric, Inc., a local contracting company on a mission to honor God by valuing employees and sharing resources with the community. 
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Viking Construction Raises Money for Local Homeless Shelter

An ABC Connecticut Chapter member, Viking Construction, held a fundraising event where participants had the chance to soak managers and supervisors in a dunk tank.  By the end of the day, employees and guests of the company raised more than $2,700 to support the Inspirica Homeless Shelter in Bridgeport, Conn. 
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Copper Collection Funds Permanent Homes for Children

In 1996, construction and engineering firms in the Sacramento, Calif., area came together to establish Champions for Children (CFC), a program run by Sierra Forever Families that raises money to provide permanent homes for children in foster care through adoption, reunification and guardianship. The program—which seeks to place children in homes before they are emancipated—has helped more than 450 kids in the last 16 years. Read the rest of entry »

Building Dreams for Marines

Members of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) are particularly dedicated to the men and women who serve in uniform—supporting the Folds of Honor Foundation, USA Cares and other military organizations. Brian Hooper, vice president of operations forMSI Mechanical, Salem, N.H., feels this same spirit of obligation toward local veterans. 
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Building More Than a Bachelor’s Degree

This spring, construction management students at Colorado State University (CSU) graduated with more than a degree under their tool belts. They are entering the workforce with construction experience in a community service setting through the CM Cares program. CM Cares, which began in 2010, teaches the importance of community service, leadership, team building and ethics by allowing students to apply classroom skills to real-world projects that benefit a local family or organization. 
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Keeping the Focus on Kids

The staff of Bouchard Insurance not only focuses on providing commercial insurance and surety bonding, but also on improving the lives of local children. The Florida-based company recently donated more than $1,200 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County. But that generous donation was only a small part of Bouchard’s relationship with the nonprofit organization. Five members of Bouchard’s staff also recently participated in a Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser, “Bowling for Kids’ Sake,” in Clearwater, Fla.  
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Greater Michigan Gives Back

The staff and members of the Greater Michigan Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) took time away from the office and jobsite to give back to their community through a week of ABC Cares events. The Midland-based chapter held its first ever ABC Cares Blood Drive on April 9 and its 27th Annual Make-A-Wish Benefit on April 13.  
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Giving Kids a 'Leg Up'

The Leg Up Farm started as an ambitious idea that sometimes seemed like an impossible goal, but the dedication of its founder and the construction team behind him never wavered. When Louis Castriota’s daughter Brooke was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease at age 1, he immediately began researching how she could get the best care possible. He discovered most treatment plans for a condition like Brooke’s, which involves both cognitive and motor function delays, do not extend past the early intervention phase. After age 3, treatment programs for children with learning disabilities and developmental delays are scarce and unaffordable for most families.

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Localizing a Nationwide Spirit of Giving

Zachry Holdings, Inc., an engineering, construction and maintenance company based in San Antonio, is leveraging its nearly 60 jobsites across the country to improve local communities and support charitable initiatives. Each fall, Zachry conducts a company-wide campaign for the United Way. The firm matches employee donations dollar for dollar and donates 75 percent of the total amount raised at each jobsite to the United Way. The remaining 25 percent becomes the operating budget for each individual jobsite to use for local community service projects. 
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Having a Ball

More than 800 members of the design and construction community came together for an evening of dinner and dancing at the biannualBuilders’ Ball, which benefits several charities in the metro Washington, D.C., area. Although the 2010 Builders’ Ball was canceled due to the difficult economic climate, organizers found an excited and generous base of supporters for the most recent ball on Nov. 19, 2011. 
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Library Makeover Program Targets Schools in Need

The Heart of America Foundation has found many enthusiastic partners to assist in accomplishing its mission of putting books into the hands of children who need them most. Through a partnership with Target and with the help of passionate volunteers, the organization renovates school libraries across the country under the Target School Library Makeover program. 
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Raising Awareness for Autism

Employees at Sahara, a construction management company based in Bountiful, Utah, have a long history of community service through the SaharaCares Foundation. Founded in 2005, the 501(c)(3) charitable organization initially focused on assisting children who are disadvantaged, seriously ill or come from financially challenged families. But that focus narrowed to children with autism when employees met colleague Lisa Ridges’ son. 
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Contractors Embrace the Spirit of Giving

During the excitement of the holiday season, the spirit of community service and volunteerism is especially strong among chapters and members of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Despite another difficult year for the construction industry, contractors remain dedicated to assisting others wherever the need is greatest.  
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Parade of Playhouses

Ten employees at Dallas-based AUI Contractors took a break from their heavy industrial and commercial construction jobs to put their skills to work on a different type of project: building life-size playhouses for local children in foster care. 
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