ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Excitement fills the air as Sandia National Laboratories employees celebrate breaking their own Employee Caring Program giving record. Sandia employees and retirees have pledged $3.559 million to the United Way of Central New Mexico.
Sandia’s giving tree resides at Sandia not just during the holidays but year round. Each branch constitutes a different type of giving to the community. Here are some examples of its different branches.
- Right behind the Employee Caring Program and just in time for Christmas, Sandia’s Shoes for Kids Program emerges. What started as an employee exchange program more than 50 years ago sparks the child in all of us as needy children receive shiny new shoes for the holidays. Over the years, more than 11,000 children have received shoes.
- The Hearts Warm Kids Feet program partners with the Shoes for Kids program by supplying socks to go with the shoes.
- Sandia’s Roadrunner Food Bank drives are phenomenal. During the month of November more than 34,300 pounds of food including 225 turkeys were shared with the community. Roadrunner Food Bank has made it possible for Sandia employees to donate electronically through a virtual site.
- A school supplies drive before school began had Sandia employees donating school supplies to schools with students in need.
- A new Habitat for Humanity house sponsored by a Lockheed Martin, retired Sandians and Sandia National Laboratories Federal Credit Union is being built by Sandia employees and retirees will be ready for the family to move in by the beginning of the year.
- Weekly blood drives have Sandia employees becoming heroes by donating more than 1,000 units a year.
- Project Linus volunteers get together and sew blankets for children who are seriously ill, traumatized or in need.
- Sandia joins others members of the community in making a difference on Make a Difference Day.
- Sandia has several science programs to encourage students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers including MANOS, Family Science Nights, Science Bowls, and School to World.
- Sandia’s giving tree’s branches stand tall as they are full of Christmas gifts for the community. Families having been adopted and toys abound in many hallways as employees try to make life better for those in need not just during the holidays but throughout the year.