Construction companies are increasingly using employee volunteer programs to apply skilled labor and project expertise to community facilities. DPR Construction's annual Service September initiative has brought teams across the United States together for community projects involving facility improvements, education and nonprofit organizations.
In Waltham, Massachusetts, DPR's Boston Business Unit renovated an outdoor area at the Waltham Boys & Girls Club daycare. Volunteers built and installed planter boxes, created a gardening area and added screening to existing fencing.
The two-day effort included carpentry work, material preparation, assembly, sanding, painting and installation. DPR has partnered with the Waltham Boys & Girls Club for five years.
In Delray Beach, Florida, more than 30 DPR volunteers worked at the Milagro Center, renovating multiple bathrooms and converting a staff restroom into storage space. The nonprofit provides academic support, arts and music programs, mentoring and other services for underserved children.
In San Diego, DPR's project managers peer group renovated the teachers' lounge at Chollas-Mead Elementary School, a Title I school. The completed space was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting event with school staff.
DPR teams also completed exterior improvements at the A.W. "Tony" Matthews Club of the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta in Mableton, Georgia.
The work included landscaping improvements and new benches, along with support for a community mural developed with inspiration from children at the club.
The projects are part of DPR's broader Service September program, under which each office is challenged to complete at least one community-focused project. Eligible efforts can include facility construction or renovation, construction career exposure and education, or general support for nonprofit organizations serving local communities.
Community-focused construction projects allow contractors to apply trade knowledge, project management skills and volunteer labor to facilities that support education, youth programs and other community services.
DPR's projects also show how localized volunteer efforts can address practical facility needs across multiple markets. For construction companies, programs that combine employee participation with construction expertise can create opportunities for workforce engagement while delivering improvements to community-serving organizations.
Source: DPR Construction.
