Employee Volunteerism

Year round, Washington Gas employees dedicate thousands of volunteer hours through company-sponsored projects that focus on health, education and the environment. From inspiring and preparing students in the District of Columbia to succeed in a global economy through Junior Achievement, to cleaning the shoreline at a historic Maryland waterfront park, to repairing the home of a less fortunate Virginia resident, we are dedicated to strengthening our community.

 

Some of the volunteer activities undertaken by our employees are featured below:

Solar Decathlon: DC; Sept. 23, 2011
For the second time in a row this season, volunteers braved inclement weather to work an event — this time the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon on Sept. 23 at West Potomac Park on the National Mall. College teams from around the world competed in the 10-day event. The teams designed and built solar-powered homes that are ready for occupancy and scheduled for sale or donation after the competition. Judging is based on ten criteria that include architecture, engineering, energy balance and affordability. A local collegiate team, the University of Maryland, won the overall competition. Thirty-five volunteers from Washington Gas and Washington Gas Energy Systems and Services served as docents, solar experts, greeters and guides at the event. Washington Gas co-sponsored the decathlon, which is in its fifth year.

9/11 National Day of Service: DC, Sept. 9, 2011
As Tropical Storm Lee dumped an overwhelming amount of rain in the area, 20 hardy Washington Gas volunteers braved the elements on the 9/11 National Day of Service to mulch, weed and remove brush from the Washington Youth Garden at the National Arboretum. The Youth Garden provides a year-round environmental science and food education program for District families.

Washington Gas was a proud sponsor once again this year of HandsOn Greater DC Cares project whereby volunteers pay tribute to the victims, survivors, and heroes of 9/11 by engaging 10,000 volunteers in three days of service to others across the region. As part of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, our community will honor those touched by 9/11 by engaging in nearly 50 service projects at nonprofits, schools and community based organizations.

Cora Kelly School Supplies Drive: Summer 2011; Virginia
More than $5,500 was raised by employees and the Teamsters Local 96 gave $2,000 to purchase a bag of school supplies for 350 students at Cora Kelly Magnet School in Alexandria, Va. The team donated $1,000 worth of books to the school’s library, paid for Weekly Reader subscriptions for all students and teachers, and bought mathematical instructional materials for the teachers.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light The Night Golf Tournament
More than 110 employees and Washington Gas supporters and vendors raised $45,000 at the 3rd Annual Light the Night Golf Tournament on Aug. 29 at Dominion Valley Country Club in Haymarket, Va.

Habitat for Humanity: Aug. 13; Virginia
A single mom and her children in Winchester, Va. will have a refurbished home later this year thanks to Habitat for Humanity and Washington Gas volunteers. Seventeen hard-working volunteers completed hanging drywall in 41/2 rooms in this home on a muggy day in August. This home is being renovated using green and sustainable materials to help the low-income homeowners have lower utility payments and energy consumption but increased environmental and health benefits.

Armed Forces Retirement Home: July 29, 2011; DC
Nearly 30 volunteers went to the Armed Forces Retirement Home on July 29 to help with casino night. Residents participated in a variety of casino-style games and volunteers registered participants, assisted with games, served snacks and drinks, monitored the games and visited with residents. One volunteer even entertained residents with impromptu show tunes and played Name That Tune with a veteran harmonica player.

YMCA Thingamajig: July 28, 2011; Maryland
Seventy-five Washington Gas volunteers helped keep 4,000 children busy at this year’s 17th Annual Thingamajig Invention Convention. This year’s event had the largest attendance ever and the theme, “Take Flight…Imagine, Explore, Soar,” inspired the children to stretch their minds and imagination. Employees judged inventions and creations and helped with a variety of activities.

The children also learned about natural gas safety and the personal protective equipment worn by employees in Safety and Field Operations

Shepherd’s Table: July 22, 2011; Maryland
Washington Gas sponsored another BRiGHTT Night (Businesses Respond in Gifts of Hope, Time and Talent) for the homeless at Shepherd’s Table on July 22. The company bought food for 90 guests and Summer team volunteers set the dinner tables, served and helped clean up.

Operation Homefront: July 16, 2011; DC
Seventeen volunteers joined Operation Homefront at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Summer Fest on July 16. The volunteers helped with set up and staffed activities that included a barbecue, music, raffle table, vendor booths and various games. The volunteers also visited with wounded servicemen and women recovering at the hospital. During the event, the Department of the Army presented Washington Gas with a certificate of appreciation that President Adrian Chapman accepted.

Bread for the City: July 9, 2011; DC
July 9 was no day at the beach for 20 Washington Gas volunteers who helped harvest 1,100 pounds of corn at Parker Farms in Colonial Beach, Va. Bread for the City will distribute the fresh corn to 800 families in the Washington metropolitan region.

Menare Foundation: June 25, 2011; Maryland
Each year during the last weekend of June, Montgomery County hosts heritage events at several of its historical sites. On June 25, Washington Gas volunteers helped with activities at the Button Farm Living History Center, which is being restored to represent an 1850s working plantation. Volunteers helped clean and spruce up the main house and grounds at the farm, set up displays and helped direct traffic.

The Menare Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Underground Railroad, uses the Button Farm as its headquarters. During the heritage festival, Menare’s founder, Tony Cohen, told festival goers about Washington Gas’ connection to the local Underground Railroad.

Special Olympics DC: May 24, 2011; DC
Thirty-two Washington Gas volunteers assisted with the Special Olympics DC Summer Games on May 24 at Catholic University. The volunteers helped set up games and provided staff support to the 900-plus athletes who competed.

Bike to Work Day: May 20, 2011; DC, Maryland and Virginia
Washington Gas employees joined employees throughout the area and biked to work on May 20. This year's event, coordinated by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, promoted bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to commute. Members of the company's new fitness core team met cyclists at Springfield and handed out refreshments and water bottles promoting the fitness initiative.

Girls on the Run: May 15, 2011; Virginia
The New Balance Girls on the Run 5K drew 3,500 young runners and running mates to George Mason University's main campus in Fairfax, Va., on Sunday, May 15. Girls ages 8 to 13 trained for 10 weeks then ran 3.1 miles with family and friends. Twenty-six Washington Gas volunteers served as marshals at different stations along the race course. The marshals maintained safety and provided other support.

Audubon Naturalist Society: May 1, 2011, Maryland
On May 1, thirteen volunteers assisted with set-up and staffed stations where children learned about reptiles, owls, birds and rock wall climbing at the Audubon Naturalist Society's Nature Fair. Washington Gas also was a corporate sponsor of the event.

Anacostia Watershed Society: April 2, 2011; Maryland
More than 25 Washington Gas volunteers picked up trash along the Anacostia River in Bladensburg, Md., in conjunction with 325 other volunteers. More than 290 bags of trash and recyclables and 185 tires, equaling 12,100 pounds, were recovered from the river and park. Simultaneously occurring were 25 other trash pick-ups at sites throughout the District and Maryland and all were coordinated by the Anacostia Watershed Society.

Junior Achievement Activities: Spring 2011; DC, Maryland and Virginia
Washington Gas hosted its most successful ever chili cook-off and raffle on March 8 and raised $4,600 for Junior Achievement. Once again, newscaster Leon Harris served as a guest judge at the contest and featured a segment about the event on WJLA Channel 7's evening broadcast.

Washington Gas adopted Timber Lane School for Junior Achievement in a Day. The day's lessons were designed to help teach students in kindergarten through sixth grade the basic principles of financial literacy, economics and work readiness. Sixty Washington Gas volunteers assumed the role of teacher or assistant. As an added bonus, SOC Operations and Compliance staff members taught the children about natural gas safety during recess.

Washington Gas wrapped up its Junior Achievement (JA) fundraising season this month with an employee fundraising donation and corporate sponsorship exceeding $41,000 to help fund educational programs for local children. JA fundraisers and volunteers celebrated the season's end at an annual Bowl-A-Thon that drew 125 employees, family members and friends on April 2.

A Wider Circle – Feb. 5, 2011; Maryland
Winter team volunteers unloaded and sorted donations, organized the warehouse, and helped work with families at A Wider Circle. The families are transitioning out of shelters and other arrangements into homes of their own. A Wider Circle provides transitioning families with $1,500 worth of free furniture.

Food Drive – Feb, 2011; DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia
The 2011 food drive held throughout the company netted a whopping 7,100 pounds of food and was the most successful ever. The donations went to six worthy causes: Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank, A Wider Circle and Brunswick and Knoxville food banks in Frederick County, Md., and to families in Romney, W.Va.

Frederick Rescue Mission – March 19, 2011, Maryland
Twenty-five Washington Gas volunteers cleared out construction debris, landscaped and packed food at the Frederick Rescue Mission last month. The mission accommodates up to 40 men at a time in a 12-month residential program. The mission is based in a historic home and building that served as the town’s jail and sheriff’s residence from 1876 until the late 1980s.

Maryland Science Bowl - Jan. 15, 2011; Maryland
On Jan. 15, 24 volunteers helped with the Maryland Science Bowl sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Volunteers served as moderators, score and time keepers and judges. Sixteen high schools from throughout the state competed in the science and math competition. The Montgomery Blair High School team won the competition and will represent Maryland at the 21st Annual National Science Bowl this spring.

March of Dimes Knitting and Crocheting Drive - 2010
An unexpected success story — since January 2010, employee volunteers have knitted and donated more than 511 shawls, blankets and hats for babies in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and their families at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. Working in conjunction with the March of Dimes, more than 1,000 volunteer hours were donated on this very special and rewarding project.

Employee Giving Campaign - Nov. 1 - 30, 2010; DC, Maryland & Virginia
Employees generously donated nearly $101,000 during the Employee Giving Campaign. More than 200 charities benefited from the donations with the company's own signature philanthropic program, the Washington Area Fuel Fund, receiving the largest number of donations. Washington Gas pays all administrative costs to ensure that every dollar donated supports the charities selected by employees.

Toys for Tots Toy Drive - Nov. 30-Dec. 11, 2009; DC, Maryland & Virginia
The 2010 Toy Drive was one of the most successful drives ever held. The drive was a collaborative effort between Washington Gas, Teamsters Local 96 and OPEIU Local 2. Volunteers delivered six truck loads of toys to Toys for Tots in the District and in Montgomery County in December. The Shenandoah office donated $1,000 worth of toys to Children's Services of Virginia, Inc.

Project Weatherization - Oct. 30, 2010; Prince George's County, MD
Seniors throughout Prince Georges's County can look forward to cozier evenings at home this winter thanks to the efforts of Washington Gas volunteers. Working with staff from United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP), 72 volunteers weatherized 48 homes throughout Prince George's County on Oct. 30. The volunteers sealed drafty windows, placed weather stripping around doors, insulated electrical outlets, re-caulked bathrooms and installed low-flow showerheads and bathroom and kitchen faucets to help conserve water. Capitol Heights Mayor Kito James joined Washington Gas volunteers to show his support of Project Weatherization. Homeowners also received safety and energy tips, and energy efficient bulbs and night lights. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters - Local 96 purchased all of the project's weatherization materials.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light The Night Walk - Oct. 2010; DC
Seventy walkers and fundraisers came out for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk in the District on Oct. 16. Collectively, Washington Gas donated $63,000 for cancer research, which surpasses the Washington Gas team goal of $55,000 and is its largest donation to date. The team organized a record 11 fundraisers for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during the fall to help achieve this record amount to fight cancer. And for the second year in a row, Washington Gas was the top corporate fundraiser for the DC walk.