National Grid Project C Commitment Kicks Off Third Year with More than 2,000 Employee Volunteers Giving Back to Communities across New York

Week of Service initiatives support company's ongoing commitment to customers and communities 

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National Grid's Project C community commitment initiative kicks off its third year by expanding the company's annual day of service to a week of service with more than 2,000 company employee volunteers engaging in 200 events taking place in neighborhoods across New York. This year's theme – Live together. Grow together. – highlights the importance of creating meaningful change and lasting bonds.

"I am excited to join with colleagues in our local neighborhoods alongside our incredible community partners to kick off our third year of Project C with a full week of service across New York," said Rudy Wynter, President, National Grid New York. "I am amazed at the impact we've had over the past two years -- from helping beautify parks to providing access to technology to exposing students and young adults to STEM and clean energy careers to connecting small businesses to resources. All of our work is rooted in our deep commitment to New York, and we look forward to doing even more."

Project C, funded by National Grid's shareholders, supports people and communities in collaboration with local partners by revitalizing neighborhoods, investing in beautification programs for nonprofits, faith-based, arts and cultural institutions; supporting climate justice and social equity programs; and by assisting small businesses and local families. This year marks the third anniversary of what has previously been a day of service. Due to its positive reception in communities across the state, and overwhelming support from partners and engagement of National Grid employee volunteers, the program is expanding to a week of service.

Dedicated groups of National Grid employees have spent months planning and partnering with nonprofits, schools, community centers, parks and other groups to deliver the activities scheduled for Sept. 11 to Sept. 15. In addition, employees are pledging to complete Acts of Kindness throughout the Week of Service, including collecting and donating books, food and clothing to a local charity, and donating blood to a blood bank.

In New York City: Building upon a long-standing partnership with CityParks Foundation "It's My Park," volunteers are cleaning up, caring for flower beds, planting trees, painting fences and benches, and maintaining handball courts at various parks, including Brooklyn's Nehemiah Park in Brownsville and Lenape Playground, in Marine Park, and in Queens Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Volunteers will also join the Staten Island Zoo staff on improvement and maintenance projects for the Children's Center.

Additionally, employees will volunteer their time to prepare, serve, and deliver meals in collaboration with Florence E. Smith Senior Services Center in Astoria, Queens, and the Brooklyn Community Food Distribution Center for Campaign Against Hunger, NYC. Other activities include partnering with the NYC Administration of Children's Services, Family Enrichment Centers to organize inventory in community pantries and help with garden maintenance in preparation for community-planned activities. Also, at the Brooklyn Central Public Library, volunteers will greet patrons, help provide program support and handout giveaways, and, NIA Brooklyn will host National Grid volunteers to distribute backpacks and school supplies to support 110 local students and their families.

On Long Island: Employees will volunteer at the United Veterans Beacon House, which provides compassionate care, clean and safe housing, and meaningful services for veterans and veteran families with physical disabilities, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, mental health issues, and addiction. Volunteers will beautify the exterior of a veteran's home by planting flowers, trimming trees, removing bushes, and pressure-washing the house. Employees will also help clean and wash service dogs with America's VetDogs. The organization trains dogs to provide enhanced mobility and independence for veterans.

Volunteers will support 'Washing Cars for a Cause' to benefit the Safe Center, which empowers women who are victims of domestic and family violence. Additional volunteers will help build a new home for Habitat for Humanity of Long Island in an eastern Long Island community where housing is needed. Partnering with Pink Tie volunteers will sort, pack and deliver food to local pantries, working to feed families in need. Volunteers will also work at the Cornell Cooperative Suffolk County Farm gardening and building a wheelchair ramp.

Employees will also complete an Act of Kindness providing handwritten cards for veterans with General Needs Ltd. which provides clothing, shoes and food for veterans. Every box of shoes donated to a veteran includes a handwritten note. This is a continuation of National Grid's ongoing partnership with General Needs Ltd. at the Suffolk County Veterans Stand Down event held earlier this month.

In Western New York: The week of service will kick off on Sept. 11 at Buffalo Naval and Military Park, where employees will use their expertise in a variety of ways, including welding and electrical work, as well as scraping and painting as part of continuing efforts to recondition the historic ships docked there.

Throughout the week, employees will deliver Meals on Wheels in Erie and Niagara counties and partake in maintenance and landscaping work at various sites across the region, including the Buffalo Zoo. They also will prepare meals across Erie County with staff members from FeedMore WNY and at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy. Additional volunteers will be on hand to do the same in Niagara County at hunger relief and social services agency Heart, Love and Soul.

Additionally, employees will be collaborating with Buffalo City Mission, the Tool Library, Habitat for Humanity, the Teacher's Desk and Back to Basics Ministries, all with an eye toward helping those agencies achieve their goals and provide resources to those in need. 

In Central New York: Company volunteers will help to restore the steps at Jesuit Landing, a historic area of Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool that was once lost to nature.

Keeping with beautification efforts, volunteers in northern New York will participate in riverfront cleanups at Higley Flow State Park and on the St. Lawrence Seaway at Wellesley Island. In the Mohawk Valley, National Grid volunteers will give their time to property beautification projects at House of Good Shepherd and Hope House.

Other volunteer teams will prepare and serve meals with local soup kitchens and Meals On Wheels, beautify the grounds at animal rescue shelters and group homes, and help nonprofits with logistics and preparations for upcoming special events.

A volunteer team led by National Grid's Veterans Employee Resource Group will work on the grounds at Clear Path for Veterans, an organization that provides supportive services to local veterans.

In Eastern New York: National Grid's Schenectady location on Broadway will host safety and robotic maintenance demonstrations as well as career exploration opportunities for students from several regional educational programs including: BOCES, the Schenectady SEAT Center, Girls, Inc., Northern Rivers and the Schenectady School District. Students will explore career paths in electric and gas operations, engineering, design, customer and community engagement and more.

"We value our partnership with National Grid and for the networking and other opportunities that they provide to our students, who learn about careers available to them through events like the Week of Service," said Capital Region BOCES Senior Executive Officer Joseph P. Dragone, Ph.D.

In Troy, at Friar Park and Saratoga Springs' Yaddo, volunteers will clean up trails and perform general maintenance. In Queensbury, employees will support the Cole's Woods by trimming branches, installing new equipment and beautifying the area. Additional projects will support local community agencies including: the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, Schenectady City Mission, Patroon Land Farm, Bring On The Spectrum and others.

Project C is National Grid's Community Commitment to:

• Build a better future by Connecting our communities to clean and sustainable energy.
• Care for our neighborhoods and their revitalization. 
• Compassionately address the challenges our customers face, including environmental justice and social equity.
• Create the workforce that will help build New York's clean energy delivery system.
• Collaborate with our customers, partners, stakeholders and so many others to deliver the clean, fair, resilient, and affordable energy future.

Since launching Project C in September 2021, National Grid has supported 100,000 local businesses, launched 1,000 community partnerships, planted or donated 2,300 trees, trained 3,400 workers to grow the clean energy workforce, and adopted 60 parks to revitalize gathering spaces. In addition, employees have volunteered more than 34,000 hours in their New York communities.

As part of the company's Responsible Business Charter, National Grid has committed to amassing 500,000 volunteer hours by 2030. In addition, across New York state, the company contributes more than $5 million annually to community-based organizations through its Corporate Citizenship efforts, including the National Grid Foundation.

Along with volunteerism, Project C focuses on four key areas: clean energy and sustainability; workforce development; neighborhood investment and community engagement; and environmental justice and social equity. Click here for more about National Grid's Project C.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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SOURCE National Grid