Our Blog

Community engagement is important to us. Leading by example, Chris Floyd and his family recently volunteered at Cradles to Crayons. Following their volunteer experience, they “adopted” three kids through the organization and were responsible for providing them with a winter wardrobe.  

As a company, we complete service projects throughout the year, but we also enable employees to give time to an organization of their choice. Every C.E. Floyd Company employee gets one paid volunteer day off each year. Keep reading to learn how three employees recently used their volunteer time off.

Mark Beckler: Community Build Project

Mark volunteered for a community build project to rebuild Castle in the Trees playground in Littleton. Over four long days, Mark was one of 850 volunteers that helped construct the new playground. Volunteers were a mix of residents of all ages as well as several companies from the local area. Work started at 7:00 am and continued until 10:00 pm each day.

The day Mark volunteered, there were nearly 100 people on site. Mark wanted to stay productive, so he tackled a variety of jobs throughout the day. His first job involved routing edges of the decking so there were no sharp corners. Then he dug several holes and set posts for the main walkway onto the structure. Finally, he helped build a fence around the perimeter of the playground. 

Mark commented about his experience, “I only had time to help one day, but I wish I could have done more. I really enjoyed working on the playground. There’s a small punch list, but the kids didn’t seem to notice at the grand opening. They all loved it!”

Kevin Boyle: Durham Fair

Kevin volunteered at the Durham Fair, the largest 100% volunteer-run fair in the country. The Durham Fair distributes profits from the fair back to the community through scholarships and support of local projects and events. Kevin worked in food booths for both the Republican Town Committee, to raise money to support local republican candidates, and the Lion’s Club, to raise money to provide free eyeglasses and eye exams for people in need.

“I’ve volunteered at the Durham Fair for 17 years in a row,” said Kevin. “Every year is exciting. I look forward to meeting new people and re-connecting with old friends. It’s very rewarding to work for non-profits that use the money for the community I live in.”

Lauren Wysocki: Make-A-Wish

Lauren volunteers as a Wish Grantor for Make-A-Wish Connecticut. She used her volunteer day off to build a replica Fenway Park in her wish kid’s backyard. Over 34 days, more than 200 volunteers converted Thomas’s yard into a fully wheelchair accessible Fenway, complete with the Citgo sign.

However, Lauren’s role in the project goes far beyond that one day. She was Thomas’s Wish Granter. Lauren met with Thomas at least once a month to get to know him and learn more about his wish. She also solicited donations and supplies while planning the field’s Opening Day celebration.

Lauren commented, “It really is pure joy when you meet a child that is so mature and kind, and then you see his dream come true. There is no feeling like it.”

In addition to the work these individuals did, we also participated in company-wide service projects.

• We held our 14^th annual Big Wishes for Little Wanderers drive to benefit The Home for Little Wanderers. Through our participation, we contributed to granting 6,000 specific wishes and donating $68,000 in gift cards.
• For the third consecutive year, we adopted a family, including a mother and her three kids, from Meriden-Wallingford Chrysalis. Chrysalis is a domestic violence services organization that promotes healthy relationships, safe families and violence-free communities.
• We made holiday cards for prisoners through Concord Prison Outreach. The card may be the only one an inmate receives, and it gives them a message of caring and hope.

Contact us to see how we can help you with your next construction project.