LA’s homelessness crisis—a harrowing consequence of unresolved societal issues ranging from systemic racism to insufficient access to effective mental health services to the economic aftermath of COVID-19—has been well-documented and widely discussed for decades. Last year, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) determined that 69,133 people were experiencing homelessness countywide, about 70 percent of which were unsheltered.

As part of our mission to Build Solutions and Better Lives, LA Webcorians came together to assemble and donate hygiene packs to the Weingart Center, a nonprofit dedicated to “delivering innovative solutions to break the cycle of homelessness.” The Weingart Center would later distribute the kits to those living on LA’s Skid Row (also known as Central City East), where the homeless population is estimated to fall between 8,000-11,000.

“As a Los Angelena, I get to live and work in one of the most vibrant cities in America, which also has one of the largest homeless populations in the country,” says Project Director Cicely Rice. “It’s hard not to be affected by the juxtaposition of our gleaming luxury high-rise buildings with homeless encampments mere blocks away.”

As a born-and-bred LA resident, Project Manager Cody Curran says he’s also all too familiar with the city’s “highs and lows” and was eager to give back to his beloved hometown by joining the hygiene pack assembly effort.

“It’s hard to find the answer to the homelessness crisis, but helping cover basic human necessities for someone in need is important regardless of how they fell into their circumstances,” he says. “We take so many things for granted, whether it’s a pair of socks or a toothbrush, that can significantly change the life of someone less fortunate.”

This year’s event marked Webcor’s fourth time partnering with the Weingart Center to distribute the hygiene packs, the cost of which Webcor’s Community Engagement Committee enthusiastically approved as a 1:1:1 corporate donation. With upbeat music playing in the background and laughter filling the room, the group of nearly 25 Webcorians poured their energy into folding shirts and socks, organizing supplies, and carefully packaging all the components together until they’d assembled all 550 kits. Each kit included a shirt, socks, deodorant, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, and soap.

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“It was amazing that we were able to make such a substantial impact in the short period of time we had together,” Cicely says. “The shelters really appreciate these packs of bare essentials, which most of us take for granted. I wish we’d had more supplies.”

“Other companies may claim ‘community’ as a core value, but seeing Webcorians from executive vice presidents to project engineers participate and practice this shared value proved we put our money where our mouth is,” Cody adds. “It was pretty incredible to witness. Although it obviously wasn’t a permanent solution to the issue of homelessness, what we accomplished together will truly make a difference and help the community around us, so big kudos to the team and to everyone involved in putting this together.”

Participating Webcorians included: Executive Assistant Agueda Zarate, who spearheaded the event and pitched it to the Community Engagement Committee for cost approval; Cicely; Cody; Sr. Project Manager Goitia; Project Director Aaron Case; Sr. Estimator Thomas Murray; Project Director, Design Franco Marinaro; Assistant Project Manager Josel Lagadia; Proposal Manager Nicole Grounds; Field Administration Manager Judy Gomez; Assistant Project Manager Gaurav Hegde; VDC Director Liem Tran; Sr. Manager, L&D Ken Flamer; Sr. Safety Manager Brian Winger; Project Coordinator Diana Serrano; Dept. Manager, Estimating/Outreach Rosa Arevalo; Assistant Project Manager Aditya Shah; Sr. Support Engineer Cynthia Sanchez; Assistant VDC Manager Annie Eismeier; Sr. Project Manager Graciela Santillan; Chief Estimator Sam Khatibi; EVP, Builders Jit Pahilajani; and Sr. VP, Project Planning Allison McCue.

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“I’d like to thank the SoCal Volunteer group (Agueda) for organizing a fun way for us to get together and give back to the community,” Sr. Manager, L&D Ken Flamer says. “Community events are such a great way to spend time with other Webcorians. Homelessness is a real problem, and it’s great to know our efforts went toward helping those who need it most.”

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