We could not be more grateful to Exxon Mobil for partnering with Santa Maria and United Way of Greater Houston for the two amazing Day of Caring events that took place at our Bonita campus on September 5th and at our Jacquelyn campus on October 25th.
The first group consisted of 90 volunteers from the Global Lubes group. The main project was to build a beautiful, large deck for our playground area. This effort took a lot of preparation. Our staff met with their lead team coordinator, Vivian Winston, weeks in advance of the Day of Caring to coordinate all the details and prep work. Three other volunteers, Paul Davis, Paul Graber and Jeff Howard visited our campus the day before bringing all the equipment to drill and complete the prep work required for our deck to be built the next day. In addition to this laborious project, other teams of volunteers tackled landscape improvements on all the main green areas and to painted two rooms, a bathroom and kitchenette in the residences of the Women with Children Program (WWC). One additional team of volunteers sorted clothing donations for nearly three hours. In total, this group of 90 Exxon volunteers contributed to more than 780 volunteer hours and about $6,000 worth of supplies. We would especially like to recognize Terry Neal, Global Lubes Operations Manager for leading by example and working alongside his team to make Santa Maria Bonita House a more attractive and functional home for clients and staff to enjoy.
The second group consisted of 106 volunteers from the Procurement Department. Their main project was to provide outdoor furniture for our garden and hallways, since we had a shortage of seating areas at our Jacquelyn House. The day started early and it was cold and rainy, but the weather did not stop this incredible group. They started working at 8 am on five different projects: carpentry, painting, landscaping, holiday decorating and cleaning. The heavy cleaning took place mainly in the sheds and with the pressure washing of the courtyard. The decorating was inspired by the fall and Halloween season. Their cheery decorations were spread throughout the reception area and big group room. The landscaping effort was spread throughout the green areas in our courtyard and back patio. Other teams worked on painting a few common rooms and offices. The biggest team focused on carpentry. Doug Fisher, did an outstanding job leading this team. For two months prior to the group event, he worked in his spare time, after work and on the weekends, to precut and prepare all the wood necessary so outdoor furniture could be assembled at our campus in just one day! They were able to provide us with twelve outdoor benches, six side tables and six picnic tables. The carpentry team also built a sturdy and high-quality gate around the trashcans. This addition made a positive impact on the appearance of our campus.
There were so many areas under construction and painting the staff planned a day off campus for our clients. We appreciate City Council Member, David Robinson and his office staff for providing tickets for an outing to the Houston Zoo. These tickets made a special day for our inpatient clients who returned home to a much improved and beautiful campus.
It’s been so wonderful to have such talented and committed volunteers at Santa Maria. We are truly grateful for all the hard work and dedication they put towards upgrading our facilities. Our clients, women and children are getting to enjoy the benefits of their hard work every single day. Our sincere appreciation!
