Earlier this year, Shook Construction launched The Shook Foundation in an effort to further its mission, To Dramatically Improve the Communities We Serve. The Shook Foundation is a non-profit organization funded and operated by the employees of Shook Construction and seeks to be an enduring resource for those they serve. With a vision to enrich the communities where the employees live and work through engagement and investment, all employee pledges and donations to the Foundation are used to contribute to non-profit organizations for transformational causes within the community.
“Shook has been fortunate to build many amazing things over our 96-year history, but none as important and impactful as The Shook Foundation. I am so proud of our employee leaders of the Foundation for their great efforts to move this to launch. We’ve always held our Mission highly; it is exciting to add another avenue to serve our community on a deeper level,” shared Chris Halapy, President & CEO of Shook Construction.
In May 2022, the Foundation awarded its first grant to SAM Ministries in the amount of $4,200 to fund one classroom of student furniture, desks and chairs for the Mucombeze-Interior Primary School in Mozambique, East Africa, where eight employees of Shook Construction were serving on a company Mission Trip. Moving forward, the Foundation will run bi-yearly grant cycles where Shook employees submit applications on behalf of non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that they are passionate about supporting.
In its inaugural grant cycle, The Shook Foundation has awarded four grants and distributed a total of $9,000 to local community organizations. Grant recipients include:
Shoes 4 The Shoeless, Dayton, OH, $2,500 Shoes 4 the Shoeless provides new, correctly fitting gym shoes and socks to Southwest Ohio children in desperate need. Through a uniquely efficient and effective system, they have helped over 100,000 children eliminate one of poverty’s most visible stigmas.
Kids in New Directions (KIND), Dayton, OH, $1,500 KIND is a free inner-city youth organization for children from kindergarten to 6th grade. The organization is dedicated to improving the lives of young people by building a foundation in Christianity through education and life experiences that will encourage them to change the world for good.
May Dugan Center, Cleveland, OH, $2,500 The May Dugan Center provides comprehensive services and programs to individuals and families throughout the Cleveland area, including food, clothing, behavioral health counseling, adult education services, job searches, victim services, trauma counseling and more.
Maelstrom Collaborative Arts, Cleveland, OH, $2,500 Maelstrom Collaborative Arts is dedicated to serving the growth of innovative artists at the borders of diverse genres, disciplines and media. They produce live performances that foster collaboration between artists and audiences and invite them into new adventurous territory.
“It has been exciting to work alongside coworkers on the creation and launch of the Foundation. By combining resources with our fellow employees, we are maximizing our impact for the greater good,” explained Jaron Develbiss, Board President of The Shook Foundation. “We are thrilled to announce our first award donations to further support the communities we call home. However, this is as much about creating relationships with the organizations as it is about providing them with capital resources.”
In total, the Foundation has now donated $13,200 to date. The Shook Foundation will open its next grant cycle in December 2022 for another opportunity for employees to apply for grant funding for non-profit organizations.
To learn more about the Foundation and receive the latest updates on grant awards, fundraising events, community outreach and more, visit www.theshookfoundation.org and follow The Shook Foundation on LinkedIn and Facebook.
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