Desert Forge Foundation receives $30K from AT&T
As part of AT&T’s Thank Our Heroes campaign, the company is teaming up with New Mexico’s Desert Forge Foundation. The Thank Our Heroes campaign supports organizations serving active duty military personnel, veterans and their families.
Desert Forge is one of 16 organizations across the country selected to receive a contribution. AT&T presented the foundation with a $30,000 check.
Desert Forge works to help restore the emotional, mental and physical health of returning veterans through meaningful job training, employment and the arts. It plans on using the AT&T contribution to buy a mobile food kitchen for its Warrior Farmer Project, which trains veterans to farm and bring their products to market.
“We are thankful that AT&T has recognized the importance of our mission — returning warriors, rebuilding community,” said Victor Versace, director of the Desert Forge Foundation. “The mobile kitchen they are helping fund will allow us to expand our work with the Warrior Farmer Project and help more of our fellow veterans.”
Several community leaders and elected officials were on hand for the announcement, including Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M.
“One of the most gratifying ways we can support military veterans — as a community — is to invest in programs and businesses developed by veterans themselves,” Lujan Grisham said. “The Desert Forge Foundation and its Warrior Farmer Project is a great example of veterans coming together to create meaningful job training and
employment opportunities for their fellow veterans.”
“We want to thank our nation’s servicemen and women, not just on Veterans Day, but every day,” said Terri Nikole Baca, external affairs director at AT&T New Mexico. “The founders of Desert Forge have already done so much. As veterans themselves, they have served to protect our country and our freedoms. Now back at home, they continue to give back to their fellow veterans. This contribution is a way to say thank you to them for all they do for New Mexico’s veterans.”
Summit raises hurricane funds
Summit Electric Supply raised $143,337 to assist its associates who were directly affected by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and the surrounding Gulf Coast communities.
The company established the Summit Associate Disaster Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Fellow associates were able to donate to this fund via payroll deduction, check, or credit card to help their colleagues in need. Summit matched each tax-deductible donation dollar for dollar. To ensure that 100 percent of the donations went to associate relief, the company also paid all administrative costs and credit card processing fees. Summit also offered associates the option of donating vacation time.