philanthropy

American Red Cross and Water Mission to each receive $15K to help those impacted across the state.

Apple Valley, Minn. — With a purpose of rethinking water for future generations, Uponor North America, the recognized leader in sustainable building and infrastructure solutions, is donating $30,000 to Texas relief efforts.

The American Red Cross Central and South Texas Region along with Water Mission are each receiving $15,000 from Uponor to help support their efforts in providing resources, supplies, and plumbing repairs for the millions of Texans impacted by the deep freeze in mid-February.

To date, the American Red Cross has deployed more than 280 volunteers and has supplied more than 81,000 meals, 16,400 cleaning and comfort kits, 7,700 overnight stays, and 1,300 contacts for those with physical, mental, and spiritual health needs.

In addition to food and shelter services, one of the greatest needs is plumbing repairs in homes and businesses. According to Water Mission Strategic Partnership Director Rogers Hook, P.E., the need for plumbing repairs is dire and the resources are limited.

“I spoke with a CEO of a major plumbing company in Austin, and they were already short on plumbers because of the explosive growth in the area,” says Hook. “They have more than 1,000 jobs on the calendar, which are all emergency calls to get water restored. They’re estimating it will take up to two months to meet the demand.”

To help with the immediate need, Water Mission developed a “do-it-yourself kit” for homeowners to temporarily fix leaks until professional plumbers could arrive and repair the damaged plumbing systems.

“Our hearts go out to those in Texas impacted by the extreme weather and the damage caused to homes and businesses,” says Bill Gray, president, Uponor North America. “We understand the importance of clean, healthy water and proudly stand behind the trade professionals who work hard every day to ensure our plumbing systems are delivering this life resource consistently and reliably. We are honored to financially support the American Red Cross and Water Mission as they help Texans in need and work to reestablish clean-water resources throughout the state.”

SA Youth’s office and Boys & Girls Clubs member gifted new HVAC systems from Shafer Serves— the New Philanthropic Program from Shafer Services Plus

SA Youth and a family from Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio are receiving critically needed HVAC systems as Shafer Services Plus launches Shafer Serves, a new philanthropic program founded to assist San Antonio non-profits by providing complimentary HVAC and plumbing products and services.

“Safe temperatures and reliable running water are critical for healthy environments—especially for children,” said Chase Anderson, President and CEO of Shafer Services Plus. “By providing these services to local non-profits, Shafer Serves is honored to help our community by serving our San Antonio family.”

Shafer Serves is being launched by Shafer Services Plus to thank San Antonio for supporting the plumbing and HVAC company for the past 136 years. Established in 1884, Shafer Services Plus has built much of San Antonio’s commercial and residential infrastructure, even installing the nation’s first commercial air conditioning system in a high-rise at San Antonio’s own Milam Building.

At the SA Youth facility, six out of 10 HVAC units were broken, leaving the team to work in temps climbing over 90 degrees. The Shafer Team repaired all malfunctioning units and replaced a broken unit, providing over $15,000 in parts and services.

“By donating HVAC repairs and installation, Shafer Serves is helping SA Youth focus on providing much-needed supplies and educational opportunities to students who are a part of our program,” said Asia Ciaravino, President and CEO of SA Youth. “It’s been an impactful gift not only for our organization but for the youth of San Antonio.”

Boys and Girls Clubs of San Antonio has been working to ensure club members continue receiving support at home while clubs operate at limited capacity due to Covid-19. Through partnership with Shafer Serves, they were able to provide Eastside Club member Yolanda Davis and her family with a new HVAC system for their home as she is currently without central AC.

“This HVAC donation from Shafer Serves has changed the quality of life for the Davis family and strengthens the bond that our clubs, members, and community partners share,” said Angie Mock, CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of San Antonio. “It’s when we come together to care for one another that we experience what community can really mean.”

Shafer believes in building community and operates under five core values: treat people like family; do the right thing, even when no one is watching; be easy to do business with; exceed expectations; and provide mutual respect for all.

“At Shafer, we’re here to take care of our San Antonio family for generations,” said Chase Anderson, President and CEO of Shafer Services Plus. “SA Youth and Boys and Girls Clubs of San Antonio are paving great futures for San Antonio’s children. Being able to provide them with HVAC services so they can continue providing meals and educational resources is a great honor for us.”

These are unprecedented times for us in the building trades. The COVID-19 crisis has brought on tough challenges, many changes and endless obstacles, but the industry is strong and resilient—right now we lean on each other. We are all in this together!

And, as each day brings more and more coverage on the COVID-19, its impact on communities, and the economy, it’s also revealed some incredible stories we want to shine a light on. One such story is of Cherie & Jack Jester, owners of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky in Oak Hall, Virginia.

Cherie, Jack and their team of employees began helping their community through a program to assist people, especially those struggling from abuse, addiction and underserved in the community. The Jesters and their team of plumbers and electricians make deliveries twice a week to a neighborhood women’s shelter. Items being delivered include necessities such as toiletries, diapers, baby wipes, food, and various other supplies to give to those who are struggling. The company has had a relationship with this shelter for several years and have recently added a food and supply drop off location outside the office so the general public can stop by to make donations that will be delivered by their team. Working with a local radio station, they are also publicizing the program to drive awareness of the need in the community.

In addition to the great work Cherie and Jack are doing, they are looking for future programs to assist and hope to team up with other Mister Sparky and Benjamin Franklins in the region. They’ve been lucky during the past few months of COVID-19, as their team is staying busy and all the techs are working. Initially, Cherie and Jack could not find supplies for masks, but through their community outreach, found someone to create them for the whole team. They follow strict guidelines and protocols for social distancing and limit customer contact as much as possible.

I recently had a chance to ask Cherie about their business, philanthropy, and how the pandemic has changed the way they do business.

MH: Give us a little background on your team with Mister Sparky and Ben Franklin Plumbing?

Cherie: Jack and I started our company in 1989 as a new construction plumbing contractor. We decided to change our primary focus to service in the late 1990’s and joined the Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise in the fall of 2006, and we added Mister Sparky to our portfolio in 2008. Our son, Lee, has grown up in the business and serves currently as our Operations Manager. Our team of professionals at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky Electric can solve plumbing and electrical problems quickly and efficiently with our guaranteed on-time service, fully-stocked trucks and highly-skilled technicians. Some of our specialty services include bathroom remodeling, water testing and purification, home automation, house rewiring, among many others.

MH: How was the relationship created with the shelter?

Cherie: Our relationship with the local neighborhood women’s shelter began through our office manager, Leesa. Leesa had been incredibly involved for several years with a special Christmas project for the shelter families. She and a few other volunteers would take a “Christmas Wish List” of items (toys, clothing, coats) for every child and parent in the shelter and go shopping for them, wrap the gifts, and then deliver everything right before Christmas for the shelter staff to distribute. Our company and team members all contributed at first and our involvement continues to grow. Last year, we wanted to increase our giving, so we matched the contribution each team member gave. This encouraged more participation from our entire staff.

MH: How has COVID-19 changed the way you do business?

Cherie: We have been fortunate enough to be able to keep all of our team working in spite of the impact from COVID-19 on the economy, and we are very thankful. The health and safety of our customers and employees has been our biggest priority, which is why we implemented procedures based on information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We require all of our employees to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including masks and gloves, as well as practice social distancing and regularly wash their hands and sanitize, and we’ve been making changes to reduce our in-person contact.

MH: What other programs or areas do you see as potential for supporting philanthropic endeavors?

Cherie: We love giving back to the community and are always looking for ways to help, especially since we have a strong support system from our employees who aspire to make a positive impact. We’d love to partner with nearby Mister Sparky and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees in the area to continue to build upon our giveback efforts. Beyond the women’s shelter we work with, we are long-time supporters of our local volunteer fire companies and we are reaching out to a local homeless shelter to see if we can help them in any way.

MH: Can you share any insight or personal stories about someone that has benefited from the support?

Cherie: When COVID-19 began to impact our community, we learned that there was an increase of families being taken into the shelter. Due to the increase there was a high demand for extra items, so we wanted to help. We decided to go shopping for them ourselves, collect items at our office from our team and anyone else wanting to help, and make deliveries to the shelter during the pandemic. Through these efforts we’ve donated several boxes of food, toilet paper, and various other supplies to give to people who are struggling.

MH: What do you hope others in the industry may take from reading about how you support in your community?

Cherie: We wanted to help our community in this time of need and are overwhelmed with the support we received from our employees, our local community in Virginia and our franchise family with Mister Sparky and Ben Franklin Plumbing. We hope our story will bring inspiration to others and motivate them to look for ways they can be a blessing wherever they are.

Having the team from Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is a gift for those in their community with little means or in need of a helping hand. As this pandemic continues with unknown speed, we can’t forget the most vulnerable who need even more support. So, if we are all in this together, we must include, plan for, and protect our most vulnerable too.

Cherie, Jack and the team of employees, Thanks You!

Navy veteran Rick Lewis outside his new home.

Watts is helping bring heat to a Nebraska veteran’s tiny house—soon enabling him to live in a heated home for the first time in years.

The project in Hubbard, Nebraska, is a partnership between “Project Veteran Tiny Home” in Hubbard, Nebraska, and Support Siouxland Soldiers in Sioux City, Iowa. Recently, the “Tiny Home” project lead contacted Watts, who, in turn, donated 500 square feet of its SunTouch WarmWire heating cable, Command Thermostat, plus related supplies.

The home is one of a growing number of “tiny homes” in the U.S., which meet a variety of low-cost housing needs. When finished, the veteran’s 500 square foot home will include a bedroom/living room, full kitchen, a bathroom, and will enable him to leave the camper where he lived previously.

“We finally got everything installed and it’s warm!  I cannot thank you enough for everything,” said Heather Millard, the project lead, who approached Watts after living for years in a home with a Watts heating system. “Rick (our veteran) was so impressed!”   For more information about SunTouch heating systems, go to SunTouch.com.