ST. LOUIS - The Electrical Connection has earned
highest honors from Habitat for Humanity St. Louis
for its four-year commitment to building homes
for the disadvantaged. The organization, a partnership
of the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers (IBEW) Local #1 and St. Louis Chapter,
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA),
was honored for its support at Habitat's recent
Harvest Homecoming.
"Our partnership with the Electrical Connection
has had a tremendous impact on our ability to
serve more families," said Kimberly McKinney,
Habitat St. Louis' chief executive officer.
"The union electricians and the contractors
employing them are a perfect example of people
whose "giving matches their living"
in that their contributions to Habitat mirror
what they do daily. Their dedicated efforts
to donate time, resources and materials ensure
our homes have safe, quality electrical installations."
For the past four years, Electrical Connection
members have wired about 80 Habitat homes. In
the process, they have donated services and
materials valued at more than $300,000. More
than 150 union electricians and a dozen electrical
contractors have mobilized each year to work
on Habitat homes.
"Our membership does a lot of building
in St. Louis, but none is more important than
the community- and family-building projects
we help build for Habitat for Humanity St. Louis,"
said Matt Lampe, business representative for
IBEW Local #1. "It is a remarkable opportunity
to help families realize their dreams of homeownership."
In addition to the Electrical Connection, Art
Stauder, Bloomsdale Excavating, Huttig Building
Products and the Masonry Institute of St. Louis
were also honored. This is the 11th consecutive
year Habitat has presented awards at its annual
fall fundraiser.
The Electrical Connection has also donated
services to Rebuilding Together to improve homes
for low-income, elderly persons and for the
past decade has donated skills, services and
building materials in support of St. Louis City's
"National Night Out" anti-crime program.
IBEW Local #1 represents nearly 3,000 electricians
and communication workers in the City of St.
Louis and 25 Missouri counties. The St. Louis
Chapter, NECA, serves more than 100 electrical
and communication contractors committed to providing
high quality and safe installations and service.
