Honeywell and Robbinsdale Cooper High School Team Up at Urban Roots

On May 12th, we partnered with more than 70 volunteers from Honeywell and Robbinsdale Cooper High School to make much-needed improvements and repairs to the facilities and grounds of Urban Roots, a Saint Paul organization with a mission to build vibrant and healthy communities through food, conservation and youth development. Urban Roots cultivates youth leaders and supports healthy communities on the Saint Paul’s East Side through paid internship programs that provide hands-on learning and foster critical life skills around entrepreneurial thinking, resilience and collaboration.  Their experiential “earn as you learn” programs are grounded in improving urban food systems, supporting and fostering connection to Saint Paul’s parks and green spaces, and promoting active living. They provide internship opportunities for 60 + youth annually.

Like many nonprofits, Urban Roots invests its limited funding into their programs. With the support of Honeywell and the hard work of Honeywell employees and Robbinsdale Cooper High School students, we were able to provide repairs and improvements, including building portable benches, constructing a storage shed, repairing and staining picnic tables, building a compost bin, cleaning and re-mulching the learning area, and painting a hallway and exterior stair rails.  Patsy Noble, Senior Program Director of Urban Roots, said of the work completed, “Wow it’s like magic! Every time I come out something new is done. We would never have been able to do this with our staff.”

Thank you to Honeywell and Robbinsdale Cooper High School for partnering with us to help ensure that Urban Roots can continue to serve Saint Paul’s youth!

Honeywell and Robbinsdale Cooper High School Make a Difference for Veterans

Last month, we partnered with Honeywell and Robbinsdale Cooper High School to make repairs and improvements to a transitional home operated by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV).  MACV is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been assisting veterans for over 25 years, including providing transitional housing for veterans. Nearly 70 volunteers came out to help with this project, which focused on replacing a retaining wall.  A current resident of this MACV house is a graduate from Robbinsdale Cooper High School. The football team from Robbinsdale Cooper High School volunteered side-by-side with Honeywell employees, making the project even more meaningful.

This project is the 38th local collaborative project between Honeywell and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, and we are very proud of our long-standing partnership!

Honeywell and Cooper High School Make Improvements to Voyageur Environmental Center

Approximately 100 volunteers from Honeywell and Cooper High School joined forces on September 25th to perform maintenance and make improvements to Voyageur Environmental Center, a year-round Environmental Education Center owned and operated by the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities.

Volunteers spent the day repairing and maintaining trails, installing a footbridge, building a compost/recycling bin, building a gaga pit, cleaning gardens and building a rainwater retention system for the garden. Honeywell donated materials, as well as volunteers’ time on the project.

The Voyageur Environmental Center runs a residential summer camp, called Camp Voyageur, and is an ideal location for environmental education field trips. Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities and students from area schools visit Voyageur for hands-on learning on topics including predators and prey, aquatic life and ecology and outdoor survival skills.

Since 2003, 15,500 Honeywell volunteers and Rebuilding Together National have repaired more than 490 homes and non-profit centers in Honeywell communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, rehabilitating and revitalizing low-income housing, schools, and other community assets.  The work at Camp Voyageur is Honeywell’s 36th project completed locally with Rebuilding Together Twin Cities. We are extremely proud of our long-standing partnership with Honeywell.  Thank you to everyone from Honeywell and Cooper High School for volunteering with us!

Teaming up with Honeywell and Cooper High School to Renovate Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery

On October 3rd, we partnered with 50 volunteers from Honeywell and Robbinsdale Cooper High School to renovate and make improvements to the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.  Volunteers spent the day painting interior hallways and rooms, landscaping the grounds, building a deck and refurbishing some recreational equipment for children.

The Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery provides temporary shelter for thousands of children annually and provides crisis counseling and support programs for parents.   Executive Director Mary Pat Lee said, “Our mission at the crisis nursery is to create a safe and secure environment for the well-being of the children we serve. These improvements will help bring smiles to the faces of many children and families struggling to overcome challenges. We are so thankful to all of the volunteers from Honeywell and Cooper High School, along with Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, who came here today to give us a helping hand.”

This project marks the 28th collaboration between Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and Honeywell to help homeowners and communities in need throughout the Twin Cities.  It is also one of many that have been completed in an ongoing partnership between Honeywell Hometown Solutions and Cooper High School’s Cooper Cares program.

Thanks to everyone from Honeywell and Robbinsdale Cooper High School who came together to make to make this project possible!