CH2M HILL

San Antonio Employees Put Their Skills to Work for Local Charity
Employees from the San Antonio office put their talent and time - more than 700 hours - to good use to help a local charity. In 2007, representatives from SAMMinistries, the largest provider of emergency shelter and transitional services for homeless adults and families in San Antonio, visited the local CH2M HILL office to communicate their need for an onsite, air-conditioned storage facility. The San Antonio GF&I staff volunteered to design and build the facility if SAMMinistries could raise the $23,000 needed for materials. It took some time, but SAMMinistries secured more than $23,500 in grants from Methodist Healthcare Ministries, Myra Stafford Pryor Charitable Trust, and Home Depot. With funding in place, our engineers and constructors went to work. Beginning in January 2009, San Antonio employees developed plans for the structure, worked with the City to secure needed permits, and purchased the materials. They did every aspect of the project, from digging the foundation and pouring the concrete, handling electrical and mechanical work, and completing the finishing touches, such as paint, shelving, and landscaping. Everything was in place for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 12, 2009.

Karen Tyler, SAMMinistries Director of Development Services, said, "CH2M HILL volunteers were amazing. They never gave up. They were out here on weekends and during a lot of nights. We worked really hard together. They contributed over 700 volunteer hours of service."

The facility CH2M HILL employees built will eventually be used to properly store the newly donated baby items, hygiene supplies, household necessities (such as pots, dishes, and utensils), and school supplies that are given to SAMMinistries. However, in December the facility will house SAMMinistries' Christmas Workshop, where the program's children will be able to shop for family gifts and wrap them with the help of volunteers.

Employees in Spartanburg honored for support of American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently announced that CH2M HILL Lockwood Greene professionals have received the Team of Excellence award for helping to raise more than $90,000 for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life in Spartanburg. CH2M HILL has been ranked as one of the top fundraising teams in the South Atlantic Division for the past four years and among the top seven nationwide teams since 2004.

The 450-plus Spartanburg-based CH2M HILL professionals have raised more than $665,000 since 1999 through well-coordinated employee teams in conjunction with ACS.

Dallas/Fort Worth employees: Cowtown Brush Up
Since 2000, CH2M HILL's Fort Worth and Dallas offices have participated in Cowtown Brush Up. Sponsored by the City of Fort Worth, Texas, this program cleans up the Fort Worth community by assisting the elderly and disabled in repairing their homes. Volunteers paint more than 100 houses annually. CH2M HILL makes an annual $500 financial contribution to the program. In addition, employees from the Dallas and Fort Worth offices form a team of volunteers to paint a house, pick up trash, and generally improve the appearance of the property.

Australia's Gippsland alliance aids fire victims
Following devastating wildfires in Australia, the Gippsland Water Factory Alliance, of which CH2M HILL is a member, is donating surplus furniture, appliances and household goods to local bushfire victims. The furniture, including beds, washing machines, dining suites, TVs, vacuum cleaners, kitchen utensils and unused linen, will be donated to the Salvation Army for distribution to people in the Gippsland area who lost their homes and possessions in the devastating fires. Alliance staff are also raising funds to help victims. All money raised by the workforce for the charity fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Alliance.

"The loss of life and property is hard to comprehend and the alliance wanted to do all it could to assist straight away. But we also wanted to ensure we continued to support the community through the long rebuilding process," said Jeff Schwisow, Alliance project manager. "We have surplus furniture from 24 houses and units in storage and will donate this to the Salvation Army to help the people of Gippsland who have lost so much. Hopefully it will make a small difference to help those who now have to piece their lives back together."

CANstruction Competition
Each fall employees in Toronto compete in CANstruction, a unique fundraiser that puts engineering and construction talent to the test to benefit the Daily Bread Food Bank. Teams must build a structure entirely out of canned and packaged food. In 2009, CH2M HILL contributed 7 percent of all the donations to the Daily Bread Food Bank with 3,576 pounds of food.

"We are grateful to CANstruction for their on-going efforts and generosity," said Gail Nyberg, Executive Director of the Daily Bread Food Bank. "This creative initiative makes a huge difference, especially around the holiday season. It means those who rely on food banks in Toronto will have something to eat, thanks to the food used in these amazing structures and the gifts of funds for food they inspire."

Philadelphia's Bikes for Kids Program
In 2002, CH2M HILL's employees in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, office embarked upon a mission to brighten the holiday season for needy children in the Philadelphia community by providing them with new bicycles. Since then, Philadelphia's Bikes for Kids program has distributed more than 800 bicycles to charitable organizations in Philadelphia, Camden, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware. To fund the program, Philadelphia staff members organize and participate in Bikes for Kids fundraising events throughout the year and receive substantial support from our clients, vendors, and subcontractors. The bikes are purchased from Philadelphia Neighborhood Bike Works, a local nonprofit organization that offers educational opportunities for urban youth through bicycling and promotes cycling as an environmentally-friendly means of transportation.

The end-of-year bike distribution events are hosted by our strategic clients and local government officials, including the Philadelphia City Council, the Pennsylvania State Senate, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority and the City of Wilmington, and typically receive significant media coverage. Philadelphia's Bikes for Kids program has succeeded in building goodwill throughout the greater Philadelphia region, enhancing our brand image in the community, and reinforcing CH2M HILL's relationships with key decision-makers who impact business growth across the enterprise. View a video here.

Supporting United Way in Florida
Each year, the United Way of North Central Florida kicks off its campaign in September with a Day of Action. This year, CH2M HILL Gainesville employees built cubbies for classrooms at Lake Forest Elementary School. "This is one of the best ways to build relationships between the school and community because it gives the community the opportunity to come out and work with, and be partners with, the school," said Principal Diane Hall. "We are so thrilled and thankful for CH2M HILL's help."

During United Way's Day of Action and University of Florida's Gator Plunge, more than 1,400 volunteers ventured to sites throughout North Central Florida to create lasting change. Volunteers painted club houses, planted flowers, built shelves, and visited nursing homes. Food pantries and files were organized, vans and toys were washed, children were read to, meals were delivered to seniors, and mulch was delivered to playgrounds. Some tasks were simple, some were complex and exhausting, but every task made a difference.

Empowering the unemployed in Toronto
Our Toronto office is a strong partner with the Community MicroSkills Development Centre, a non-profit organization committed to assisting the unemployed, with priority given to women, youth, racial minorities and immigrants. Recognizing the barriers that these groups face in their efforts towards self-sufficiency, MicroSkills aims to assist them in acquiring the skills needed to achieve self-determination and economic, social, and political equality. The program trains, guides, and mentors more than 20,000 adults and youth annually.