$10,000 UPS Grant Will Help With Green Initiatives

CATEGORY: Philanthropy
A generous donation from UPS will help Hospice of the Western Reserve continue to advance environmental sustainability throughout the agency, including the creation of a compost system at headquarters and replacing trees that were removed at Ames Family Hospice House during construction.

A two-bin compost system will convert vegetable waste generated by the lunch kitchen and daily activities of 250 staff members, plus lawn clippings at the St. Clair Avenue headquarters location. The resulting mulch will be used in Hospice of the Western Reserve’s gardens.

Additionally, funds will be used to replace the fluorescent lights lining the interior walkway at the nonprofit agency’s David Simpson Hospice House in Cleveland that have been in place since 1995 to with modern, energy-efficient sconces and LED bulbs.

Funds from the UPS donation will enable landscapers to plant 60 linear feet of flowering under-story trees, bushes and naturalized plantings at the agency’s Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake, providing food and wildlife habitat and reducing erosion. The Westlake care center, which opened in 2012, provides advanced inpatient management of chronic symptoms for hospice patients. It achieved prestigious LEED Gold status (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Kathy Gatto, Vice President of Support Services, who leads the agency’s “Green Team,” said the grant will allow Hospice of the Western Reserve to continue to enhance  its environmentally friendly practices.

“Hospice of the Western Reserve has been recognized by Practice Greenhealth [a nonprofit organization founded and driven by the principles of positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organizations in the health care community] for environmental leadership in a hospice care setting, thanks in large part to the efforts of our Green Team,” Gatto said. “We are grateful for the support of the UPS Foundation, which is enabling us to implement more of the recommendations from this creative group of employees engaging multiple teams across the agency.”

The Foundation identifies areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues, such as environmental sustainability.

Shawn McDermott, a UPS Loss and Prevention Specialist for UPS’ Middleburg Height location, presented the $10,000 check to Foundations Relations Manager Bonnie Robbins on behalf of The UPS Foundation.

“The community gives us so much, we want to be able to give back,” McDermott said. “Community is at the core of UPS.”

McDermott, whose family has utilized Hospice of the Western Reserve’s services, has volunteered for the organization.

“You’re helping out during what can be one of the hardest times in a family’s life,” he said. “You’re an asset to the community; you don’t turn anyone away.”

 
Pictured: (L-R) Hospice of the Western Reserve’s Director of Volunteer Services Lisa Scotese Gallagher, Green Team member Linnea Fox, landscaper Lucinda Little and Foundation Relations Manager Bonnie Robbins with UPS Loss and Prevention Specialist Shawn McDermott, second from right.