U.S. Engineering Rocky Mountain Interns: Annual Backpack Drive

U.S. Engineering interns in our Rocky Mountain region exceeded their 2021 backpack-drive goal with Minority Enterprise & Educational Development (MEED). Over the last several years, U.S. Engineering has partnered with MEED to help homeless students in the Denver Public School area. This year, U.S. Engineering interns collected over 200 backpacks with 2-3 boxes of extra school supplies.

MEED is a non-profit organization focused on facilitating education, resources and empowerment to minority communities in Colorado. According to MEED, 2,113 students who attend Denver Public Schools are homeless. “Stuff the Bus” Backpack & School Supply Drive was conceived to help kindergarten through high school-aged students by providing basic school supplies such as backpacks, pencils and notebooks. U.S. Engineering team members and interns participated over the last several years, and now in 2021. This year U.S. Engineering interns organized a cornhole tournament with an entry fee of $10 to help raise money for the school supplies.

Interns who participated include Max Kugel, Erin Roth, Elena Nachbar, Ryan Usher, Chris Lieb, Phil Crespin, Walker Polhamus, Justin Watkins and Anthony Arellano-Gandy. U.S. Engineering Construction Senior Project Manager Mike Brunson and Safety Coordinator Greg Italiano helped the interns deliver the backpacks to a Denver Public School building for storage.

U.S. Engineering Midwest Interns: Sunflower House Construction Revitalization Project

Interns in our Midwest region helped Sunflower House, a local children’s advocacy group, with a construction project on a hot day this summer. Our interns worked together to revitalize an old staircase that leads into the building, making it safer for children and others to enter and exit. The team of interns gathered tools and supplies, power washed, cut wood to size, disassembled a stairwell and sanded, stained and installed new boards to the staircase.

After the event, Intern Program Coordinator and Recruiting Manager, Desiree Sharp, received a thank you note from Judi Rodman, Sunflower House President and CEO. The note read, “The group worked really hard and put in a long day. Yesterday was so hot…  I was grateful when they finally came into the building for a few minutes to cool off and accept a cold bottle of water. I wanted you to know that the group was extremely professional and easy to work with. Thank you so much for supporting our agency.”

Sunflower House is a non-profit in Kansas with the simple mission of protecting children in our community. Sunflower House intervenes on behalf of the child during allegations of abuse. The child advocacy center provides interview rooms with qualified forensic investigators, and education and resources for children and adults.

Interns who participated include Teague Rickel, Austin Snyder, Trevor Griese, Brandon Crabtree, Sarah Duong, and Joshua Umrysh.