Larger text
Smaller text
Eaton Corp. to spend Day of Caring at Verland
Daily Photo Galleries
Sewickley Photo Galleries
By Kristina Serafini
Published: Wednesday, September 5, 2012, 8:46 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, September 5, 2012
When employees of the Eaton Corp. visit Verland today, it will be at least the 10th time representatives from the Moon Township-based power management company spent a Day of Caring at the Ohio Township facility.
That's because there's something special about Verland, Eaton Corp. Senior Vice President of Information Technology Ray Huber, said.
“It takes a special kind of individual to do what they do,” Huber said of Verland employees.
Verland is a private, nonprofit organization that provides residential living, support and programs for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Over the years, an average of about 50 Eaton employees have worked alongside Verland staff as part of the United Way Days of Caring volunteer projects.
They've helped with landscaping, painted homes and classrooms, installed handrails and walkways and refurbished the equestrian shed, according to Verland's special events coordinator, Colleen Ley.
Today, the group is scheduled to spend the day painting part of the dietary department, doing landscaping, installing cabinets in laundry areas and staining picnic tables and benches.
All paint, brushes and rollers used for the event were donated by PPG Industries.
The day will end with an ice cream social in the adult training facility, where Eaton employees will share stories about their accomplishments.
“It's been a lot of fun and it's pretty amazing what we've been able to do,” Huber said.
Huber said Eaton employees get a lot of satisfaction from giving back to the community.
He said the company now completes five or six service projects at local charities and nonprofits each year. Volunteering at Verland was the first service project the company committed to, and it remains the largest.
“It's just been a great event for us and our employees,” Huber said.
In addition to volunteering, the Eaton Corp. also will present Verland CEO and President Carol Mitchell with a $10,762 check from its charitable fund for the purchase and future maintenance of one fully-equipped hospital bed.
Verland's Day of Caring staff coordinator, Jean Smith, said the facility is thankful for the help it receives each year from Eaton.
She said without the help of the volunteers, the kinds of projects they will be doing today would otherwise likely fall by the wayside because of the small maintenance staff and little extra in the budget.
“It's huge,” Smith said of the help.
“It's hard to do those extra things that need attention. It adds to the overall beautification of the whole campus.”
Kristina Serafini is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can bereached at 412-324-1405 or kserafini@tribweb.com.
Most Popular Sewickley
- Annual Nationality Days festival to be held Friday-Sunday in Ambridge
- After 19 years, students from St. James School in Sewickley take Battle of the Books title
- Author’s first novel has Sewickley flair
- Editor’s Notebook: At a garage sale, it is much more fun to be the buyer
- Full weekend of Memorial Day activities planned in Sewickley
You must be signed in to add comments
To comment, click the Sign in or sign up at the very top of this page.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.
