2022 HDR Foundation Grants

Alimentando Al Pueblo is the only Latinx food bank in the country – led by Latinx employees, with food sourced directly from Latinx distributors, grocers and local farms. This US$10,000 grant will fund culturally relevant food boxes that will feed approximately 100 families (or 340 individuals) in the Highline service area near Seattle for about two weeks. Community members can choose from a Mexican or Central American food box, each with food staples and brands that are recognized by that community.

Employee sponsor: Brianna Vazquez | Bellevue, WA | HOLA! HDR (Hispanic/Latino(a) Employee Network Group) 

This US$10,000 grant will support the Asian Youth Center in providing materials for an after-school and summer science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics program for low-income and immigrant youth in the West San Gabriel Valley. The funding will provide STEAM kits, school supplies, mobile hotspots, printers, rolling carts, dry-erase boards and mobile projects for the program. The Asian Youth Center helps empower at-risk youth of all communities as they overcome barriers to success through culturally and linguistically competent education, employment and social services.  

Sponsor: Yuying Li | San Diego, CA | Asian Pacific Employee Network Group

Camp UBU (read “you be you”) provides opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing children to meet peers and adults who are like them, to be free of communication barriers, and improve confidence in themselves. This US$10,000 grant will enrich the experience of campers with a new science, technology, engineering and math program focused on the development of a pollinator habitat. The funds will purchase laptops, mobile hotspot equipment, mini-greenhouse planter kits and seeds. 

Employee sponsors: Scott Miller | Sioux Falls, SD | Garland Pennison | Lafayette, LA | Jill Rust | Sioux Falls, SD | disAbilities Employee Network Group

Diversity in Aquatics supports and develops sustainable aquatic programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to provide underrepresented groups with a necessary survival skill. This US$10,000 grant will provide rescue tubes, ring buoys, backboards and educational materials for a water safety program for people of color and communities with little to no swimming experience because of centuries of systematic racism. Through the program, participations will receive a foundation for future opportunities in aquatics, such as swimming, diving, water polo, scuba diving, rowing, marine biology and underwater welding.

Employee sponsor: Kelley Dorsett | Arlington, VA | Black Employee Network Group 

Aligned with the mission to improve the quality of life for military members, veterans and their loved ones, this grant will help Fisher House Foundation keep families together when their loved ones receive care. The US$10,000 grant will support the repair of the Fisher House at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, caused two years ago when the facility was severely damaged during an ice storm. The nonprofit ensures that every eligible family that needs to be with a loved one during a medical crisis has a safe and comfortable place to stay without having to worry about the financial burden.  

Sponsor: John Dineen | Omaha, NE | Veterans Employee Network Group

This US$10,000 grant will support Viet Rainbow of Orange County to mobilize intergenerational connections by providing LGBTQ+ with an outlet to gather and share stories of personal experiences from within the Vietnamese-American community. The funding will fund building improvements to make VROC’s offices more welcoming to the community and supply materials for outreach events, including the 2023 Lunar New Year Festival and Little Saigon Tet Parade. Grounded in values of equity, healing, joy and social justice, VROC strives to create a world where everyone has the resources and agency to thrive with dignity. 

Employee sponsor: Grace Caballero | Vienna, VA | Allies (LGBTQ+) Employee Network Group  

This $10,000 grant will help Women in Science increase awareness and encourage young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math opportunities. The funds will support STEM education kits for in-person outreach events at six local schools to encourage 8th-grade girls’ interest in science-related classes and careers. Over 600 girls from the Sioux Falls area attend the Women in Science annual conference each year.

Employee sponsor: Abby Nelson | Sioux Falls, SD | Women’s Employee Network Group

AIM ignites curiosity and interest in tech, with the ultimate goal of diversifying, strengthening and attracting future talent to science, technology, engineering and math careers and opportunities. Funding from this $29,837 grant will help purchase equipment for students to explore STEM opportunities, including coding, robotics, 3D modeling and design. The grant will help provide "Program Support Kits" to keep AIM’s technology up to date with the industry and engage and challenge students as they envision themselves in the tech world.

Employee sponsor: Michele Jensen | Omaha, NE

This $45,326 grant to Big Red Barn Retreat will fund a building generator to ensure continuous program service on the center’s 75-acre property. Big Red Barn Retreat offers transformative programs, training and services so that veterans, active-duty military and first responders can become the best version of themselves, find their self-purpose outside of their service and receive training to connect back to the communities where they live and work. Since 2015, the Big Red Barn Retreat has helped over 10,000 public servants thrive in their communities by offering holistic and therapeutic mental health programs addressing communication, connection, relationship building and problem-solving.

Employee sponsor: Lis Bleasdale | Columbia, SC

Billion Oyster Project supports the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary in restoring the once rich, diverse and abundant oyster reefs through public education initiatives. This $74,664 grant will be used to purchase mechanical equipment to increase the capacity of staff and volunteers to clean and process cured oyster shells and fabricate reef structures. The equipment will help Billion Oyster Project reach its goal of one billion oysters restored to the harbor by 2035, helping to create new habitat, naturally improve water quality and increase biodiversity.

Employee sponsor: Christopher Coccaro | White Plains, NY

Since 1975, Canine Companions has provided service dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities, as well as facility dogs to professionals who work in high-stress environments such as hospitals, schools and criminal justice settings. This $78,935 grant will fund a new HVAC system in Gittinger Hall, which students and veterans utilize for training classes as well as ongoing support for the human/canine team throughout the dog’s working life. Canine Companions offers a powerful program that leads to clients and their dogs living lives of greater independence.

Employee sponsor: Raffaella Geremia | Bellevue, WA

Engineers in Action increases the quality of life in impoverished villages by removing the barriers of inaccessibility. This $57,000 grant will purchase materials needed to build a bridge across the dangerous Ngwempisi River in rural Eswatini. The bridge will provide 1,680 residents of the surrounding communities with year-round, safe access to essential resources and opportunities like schools, healthcare, food markets and more.

Employee sponsor: Greg Zeiss | Folsom, CA

This $75,000 grant to Friendly House will fund the upgraded installation of a playground at Happy Hollow Day Camp. The playground provides children from diverse backgrounds and upbringings with the opportunity to practice and hone social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills. The playground at Happy Hollow will help children make new friends, share, take turns and interact with other children in a recreational setting that provides a variety of experiences to help them grow into healthy adolescents and adults.

Employee sponsor: Jacob Wroten | Cleveland, OH

This $31,478 grant will fund a combi oven which will enhance the learning aspects of the Freestore Foodbank’s COOKS! training program to provide unemployed and under-employed adults with accessible workforce development opportunities. The combi oven will also allow for added production capacity to provide hot meals to more than 2,000 children through the Kids Café program. Freestore Foodbank’s vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy and thriving community by providing nutritious food and connecting members of the community.

Employee sponsor: Jake Stremmel | Cincinnati, OH

Improve Your Tomorrow aims to increase the number of young men of color who attend and graduate from colleges and universities. This $52,500 grant will fund 40 computers and monitors, furniture and additional technology for the IYT Center for College Success. The center will provide youth from under-resourced communities with access to mentoring, professional coaching, technological tools and wellness opportunities.

Employee sponsor: Russell Oyewole | Sacramento, CA

Kinetic Kids enriches the lives of special needs children as they engage in activities and programs that are educational, therapeutic in nature and encourage exercise to foster the development of courage, confidence and community. The $53,000 will go towards a van to safely take specialized equipment to venues to improve accessibility and inclusion of kids with different abilities. Children with all levels of mobility, intellectual or physical disabilities, are welcome and find success in the Kinetic Kids programs.

Employee sponsor: Szymon Waclawiak | San Antonio, TX

Partnership 4 Kids is a youth development program that builds hope for Omaha students and helps them create a foundation for success from preschool to their careers. This $45,266 grant will fund education equipment that will enrich and expand the current scope of the STEAM-focused curriculum and activities. The science, technology, engineering, art and math project allows 350 students annually to develop skills to equip them to succeed in academics and strengthen awareness of STEAM-related careers.

Employee sponsor: Brian Hindley | Omaha, NE

Special C.H.E.E.R.S. impacts the community by providing individuals with physical, emotional and developmental challenges a place to grow through pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Special C.H.E.E.R.S. is the only specialized program within the city of Houston and surrounding areas providing evidence-based services that enhance the lives of children and young adults with a multifaceted approach to achieving functional living skills. This $40,000 grant will provide a tractor and other equipment needed to maintain the organization’s 240-acre natural environment, ensuring trails for equine therapy are accessible for people of all ability levels.

Employee sponsor: Jeremy Blevins | Houston, TX

This $100,000 grant to Stevens Institute of Technology will fund underrepresented minority students with materials and equipment to explore their entrepreneurial skills through participation in the Stevens Startup Garage. Stevens Startup Garage will enable students to exercise their entrepreneurial skills and bring ideas to fruition with the resources, guidance and mentorship needed for an enriching experience in a STEM makers’ space. Stevens Institute of Technology aims to enhance student education and experience as they unite students through collaboration and innovation.

Employee sponsor: Katie Duty | Tampa, FL

As one of Atlanta’s most widely known nonprofit organizations, Trees Atlanta works to mitigate Atlanta’s tree loss, protect its forests and increase its tree canopy. This $28,000 grant will purchase 30 native trees and planting materials in unincorporated and severely underfunded areas in Atlanta. Additionally, the grant will fund a gator vehicle to help transport volunteers, tools and materials for a sustainable redevelopment project that connects a network of public parks, multi-use trails and light-rail transit.

Employee sponsor: Leigh Sexton | Atlanta, GA

As Colorado’s oldest outdoor stewardship nonprofit organization, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado is at the forefront of protecting, improving and restoring ecosystems and trails across the state. This $40,000 grant will be used to purchase a cargo van to transport tools, equipment, supplies and staff to stewardship projects throughout Colorado. By motivating and empowering volunteers as active stewards of the state’s natural resources, the organization addresses recreational trail maintenance, wildlife habitat improvements, invasive weed mitigation, fire and flood restoration, and campground rehabilitation.

Employee sponsor: Peter Brask | Denver, CO

This $40,044 grant to Youth Dynamics will create a garden and greenhouse space at the Boulder therapeutic youth group home campus. This space will serve as a safe and nurturing environment away from traumatic situations that often hinder a child's mental health and well-being. This area will impact youth by inspiring a healing environment, creating meaningful outdoor experiences, boosting children’s confidence and fostering emotional growth.

Employee sponsor: Bryant Johnson | Billings, MT

Using this CA$5,000 grant, our Richmond Hill employees will collaborate with 360°kids and Kits For a Cause to assemble transitional housing kits for underprivileged and at-risk young adults moving into new apartments. The kits will include dishware, utensils, cooking supplies, cleaning supplies and essential winter clothing.

Employee sponsors: Janice Look, Mahsa Khodadadi, Nicole Brinic, Laura Chong and Dawn Padiernos | Richmond Hill, ON

Aligned with its mission to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering and construction, this US$5,000 grant will enable ACE Mentor Program of Colorado to provide STEM-related supplies for program participants. Each student will receive a backpack, packed by our Denver employees, with supplies and educational materials to learn about the engineered world and facilitate entry into STEM fields.

Five newly arrived refugee families will receive supplies to help them settle into their new homes in the Boise area thanks to this US$4,990 grant. A small team of our Boise employees will be assigned to each family identified by the Agency for New Americans to assist with both purchasing and home set-up. 

Employee sponsor: Nawid Mousa | Boise, ID

This US$4,000 grant will enable Alchemist CDC to purchase and construct a three-bin composting system and host an educational event at Pansy Community Garden Park. Building upon a 2021 YP Action Grant led by our Sacramento employees, the project will educate the local community on proper maintenance of native fruit trees and ensure ecological waste is incorporated back into the environment.

Employee sponsor: Brenda Lopez | Sacramento, CA

Our Phoenix employees will work with the Arizona Humane Society will utilize the funds from this US$5,000 grant to assemble dog beds and care-in-place kits for newborn kittens. The dog beds will provide a place for dogs living in the shelter to sleep, while the kitten kits will help newborn kittens receive the nourishment and care they need outside the shelter.

Employee sponsor: Miranda Sundblom | Phoenix, AZ

The ASHRAE Nebraska Chapter will use this US$3,000 grant to introduce young students to engineering-related jobs. The funding will be used to purchase copies of the children’s book “Lucy’s Engineering Adventure” for local elementary schools, where American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers members from HDR will engage in reading sessions.

Employee sponsors: Sara Robbins and Peter Koneck-Wilwerding | Omaha, NE

This CA$5,000 grant will provide holiday gifts for approximately 150 Calgary-area children living in nontraditional homes. Big Brothers and Big Sisters Calgary will provide the children’s wish lists to our Calgary employees, who will purchase and wrap gifts, prioritizing items that support education and development.

Employee sponsor: Zhengwen Chen | Calgary, AB

Our Mahwah staff will utilize this US$5,000 grant to purchase and assemble items for more than 800 snack packs for the Center for Food Action Weekend Snack Pack Program. These snack packs, consisting of milk, cereal, juice, fruit, pasta, and a snack bar, will be distributed to local children to help them avoid hunger on weekends and holidays when they can't depend on meals from their schools.

Employee sponsor: Hayley Bundz | Mahwah, NJ

The Vista Colina Family Shelter, operated by Central Arizona Shelter Services, provides housing for up to 36 families experiencing homelessness every night. With the support of this US$4,700 grant, our Phoenix employees will provide adult residents with a day-long “Professionalism Workshop” and make improvements to the children’s playroom.

Employee sponsor: Hadley Habeck | Phoenix, AZ

Our Boise young professionals group will spend a weekend replanting an area of the City of Boise’s Boise River Greenbelt recently disturbed by construction. This US$4,687 grant will purchase native shrubs and forbs, seedling protection tubes and gardening equipment to revegetate the area, reducing the likelihood of erosion and water quality problems.

Employee sponsor: Alesha Willis | Boise, ID

This US$4,743 grant will enable our Corpus Christi employees to assemble 900 backpacks of kid-friendly, non-perishable food for students in the Corpus Christi area experiencing food insecurity. Volunteers will work with the Coastal Bend Food Bank to distribute the backpacks across 16 area school districts.

Employee sponsor: Kailey Murphy | Corpus Christi, TX

This US$4,924 grant will provide more than 700 Santa Monica Blvd Community Charter School students with supplies to start the school year. Our Los Angeles employees will assemble backpacks for the students, 98% of whom qualify for free or reduced lunch and otherwise might lack access to quality educational supplies.

Employee sponsor: Ana Rios | Los Angeles, CA

Our Atlanta employees will partner with the Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District to contribute to a one-day project to install native plantings and place of boulders, rebar and other locally sourced materials at Crayfish Creek. Made possible by this US$5,000 grant, the effort will reduce sediment buildup that currently interferes with the spawning of brown trout in the creek.

Employee sponsors: Brigitte von Oppenfeld | Atlanta, GA

To provide self-defense tools and training to LGBTQ+ community members, Organize Sacramento and Pride at Work Sacramento will use this US$4,730 grant to purchase materials for 100 self-defense kits, which will be assembled by our Folsom employees. The kits, which include pepper spray, flashlights, personal safety alarms and information on safety and wellness resources, will be distributed at a free community safety event.

Employee sponsor: Makayla Dennis | Folsom, CA

This US$5,000 grant will be used to purchase raised garden beds, soil, seeds and gardening supplies for Lindsay Street Park in Atlanta. Our Atlanta employees will partner with Park Pride for a half-day garden and pollinator expansion project to support the continued development of the park as a local food source.

Employee sponsor: Rachel Cohen | Atlanta, GA

The Penticton Community Soupateria serves tens of thousands of meals annually to community members in need, including single mothers, people experiencing homelessness, lonely seniors and people facing unemployment. This CA$5,000 grant will provide new kitchen and on-site gardening equipment to expand the capacity of daily food service.

The Refuge Care Collective brings care to families who have been resettled after fleeing war, violence and persecution. Our employees will use this $5,000 grant to build restart kits (including kitchen and bathroom supplies, bedding, etc.) for 25 refugee families.

Employee sponsor: Pegah Alavi | Portland, OR

Our Philadelphia employees will remove existing, run-down puppy kennels to make way for a new set of kennels at Saved Me Rescue, which works to find homes for dogs in high-kill shelters. This US$5,000 grant will fund supplies for kennel removal, cleaning and painting as well as the cost of installation for the new kennels.

This CA$4,944 grant will fund the assembly of backpacks with food and essential personal items for individuals who have endured mental or physical abuse and face challenges to their safety or food security. Our Penticton and Victoria employees will assemble the kits in partnership with the South Okanagan Women in Need Society.

The Story Orchard aims to build community literacy skills and increase access to book-based resources and programming in the Twin Cities area. This US$3,250 grant will fund 350 new books and 10 new community bookshelves that our Minneapolis employees and The Story Orchard staff will install throughout the area, each fitted with a small sign or plaque highlighting the organization’s name and mission. Members of our Inclusion, Diversity and Equity committee will work with The Story Orchard to select books featuring diverse authors and stories, as well as STEM/STEAM careers.  

Employee sponsor: Pauline Ferre | St. Louis Park, MN

With the help of our Brentwood employees and this US$5,000 grant, the Tennessee Environmental Council will install a 5,000-square-foot pollinator garden and provide educational curricula and seeds for students at Stratford STEM Magnet School. The garden will create a space for pollinator insects like bees and butterflies to live or temporarily during migrations.

Employee sponsor: Lyranda Thiem | Brentwood, TN

This US$5,000 grant will be used to purchase critical feminine and hygiene supplies for homeless students in the Boise area. Our Boise employees will work with the United Way of Treasure Valley team to stock the supply pantry, which is accessible to student liaisons, social workers and counselors.

Employee sponsor: Crystal Jensen | Boise, ID

The Valerie Fund, which supports children with cancer and blood disorders and their families, operates a free, weeklong overnight camp for children and young adults who have or had cancer. This US$4,500 grant will enable our Mahwah employees to purchase, assemble and deliver toiletry kits for summer 2023 campers.

Employee sponsor: Deidra Valianti | Mahwah, NJ

This CA$10,000 grant will help March of Dimes Canada grow its After Stroke personalized recovery program that helps survivors and their families move forward after a stroke. The funds will better connect local hospitals with community partners, filling the gap to create a more seamless transition from the hospital to the home. The program provides a support network to keep survivors connected to family, friends and other community members to ease feelings of isolation that often can affect the mental health of survivors.

Employee sponsor: Jacob Bellerose | Toronto, ON

Rocky Mountain Adaptive Sports provides accessible mountain sport and recreational opportunities in the Canadian Rockies, from kayaking and hiking in the summer to skiing and snowboarding in the winter. This CA$10,000 grant will fund adaptive kayak equipment for children and adults with disabilities visiting William Watson Lodge, where more than 300 participants per year are expected to experience the Canadian wilderness from the water. RMA facilitates more than 2,000 adaptive experiences per year by removing the barriers to patriation in mountain sport through adaptive equipment, professional instruction and trained volunteers.

Employee sponsor: Michelle Parratt | Calgary, AB 

Following diagnosis with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, patients slowly lose the ability to do everyday tasks, including communicating verbally with family and friends. This $15,000 grant to the ALS Association New Mexico Chapter will expand the Zia ALwayS Cares program, offering families an adaptive communications kit to adapt as the progressive neurodegenerative disease advances. The kits could include a boogie board, alphabet/letter board, text-to-speech app information, stylus, amplifier and voice recorder with voice banking, and instruction manuals, helping to ease the communication burden between ALS patients and their loved ones.

Employee sponsor: Paul Molina | Albuquerque, NM

This $19,067 grant to the Creighton Community Foundation will fund a mini-tractor to help transform unused land for development of a series of youth-led, community-accessible gardens along a socio-economically diverse, high-traffic pedestrian corridor. The program will help revitalize 14 low-income food desert communities in east-central Phoenix, where disadvantaged households often report incomes of less than $23,000 a year. CCF’s mission is to develop community vibrancy through multi-generational, community capacity-building strategies integrated into school-centered neighborhoods.

Employee sponsor: Becky Santiago | Phoenix, AZ

Dorchester Children’s Advocacy Center offers a one-stop shop for child abuse victims and their families collaborating with partners from law enforcement, child protective services, solicitors offices, school districts, and medical and mental health agencies in the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse. This $20,000 grant will help fund the renovation of the facility’s main lobby restroom to meet American Disabilities Act compliance, helping to better serve aging caregivers who are taking on emergency custody of their young family members. Since opening its doors in 2003, DCAC has served over 16,000 community members at no cost to families or children receiving services.

Engineers Without Borders builds a better world through engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs. This $15,738 grant will help provide reliable access to safe drinking water in the community of Mabinju, Kenya, where three out of 10 children regularly miss school to search for clean water. The grant will fund solar panels, pumps, storage tanks, lighting rods and water dispensers.

The Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio’s Council launched the Skyland Ranch Environmental Education program to empower K-12 students to lead adventures, partake in environmental stewardship, and join in hands-on educational activities. Building upon two previous grants from the HDR Foundation, this $20,000 grant will be used to purchase new equipment that will expand opportunities for more than 600 girls expected to participate in the environmental education program during the next school year. These improvements will prepare the next generation to understand climate change, clean and efficient energy, energy plant management and more.

The Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy improves the physical and emotional well-being of children and adults with disabilities through equine-assisted activities. This $10,198 grant will fund the addition of fencing for the facility’s sensory trail, where participants on horseback engage in activities with visual, auditory and tactile simulation for specific diagnoses. Continuing a successful partnership, this is the fourth grant the HDR Foundation has awarded to HETRA.

Employee sponsor: Teresa Konda | Omaha, NE

Quest is Central Florida’s leading provider of care and services for adults and children with developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and other developmental and intellectual delays and behavioral concerns. Through a $15,000 grant, the Life Concepts program within Quest will build a new health and safety behavior program for approximately 20 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program will help participants develop skills in the areas of nutrition and meal preparation, exercise and fitness, communication, public wayfinding and personal safeguarding.

Employee sponsor: Angela Holcomb | Tampa, FL

This $9,500 grant to Reading Allowed will fund literacy instruction materials, student assessment materials and technology to support a structured literacy program at Francis Scott Key School. An estimated 75% of students at the school are in the English Language Learners program, and nearly 100% qualify for free or reduced lunches. Literacy tutors from Reading Allowed will work with 60 students during the school year with goals to advance and read at their grade level, become more confident in their understanding of English and improve their self-esteem through academic performance.

The Street Trust advocates for multimodal transportation options that prioritize safety, accessibility, equity, and climate justice in the Portland Metro Region. This $9,355 grant will help build the organization’s community mobility workshop with a package of transportable state-of-the-art equipment and accessible technology to better engage community members where they live. The workshops will allow The Street Trust to offer family walk and ride events, community listening sessions and free clinics and classes on bicycle and scooter safety and being a friendly driver.

This $18,000 grant will fund two aerial and two bathymetric drones to complete the curriculum of an American Water Works Association pilot program designed to strengthen the digital technology skills of high school students. A coveted program for many high schools, AWWA chose two schools with highly diverse student enrollment to participate in the program. After completing the program, students will be prepared to test for their drone pilot licenses and have employable skills for water utilities in need of talent.

Employee sponsor: Kevin Bergschneider | Denver, CO

CRCL is Louisiana’s oldest, statewide non-profit organization dedicated to coastal restoration. This $6,169 grant will support the construction of new air prune beds at the Pontchartrain Conservancy nursery, enabling CRCL to grow saplings locally rather than purchase trees from an outside source. The air pruning beds produce healthier root balls, which increase the saplings’ transplant success — vital to a state that has lost more than 1 million acres of wetlands and barrier shoreline since 1900. With the new pruning beds, CRCL will grow 8,500 trees for 40 acres of wetland planting, impacting up to 43,000 Louisianans living along the coast.

Employee sponsor: Erin Rooney | New Orleans, LA

Building upon a seven-year partnership with our Austin office employees, this $15,650 grant will fund the purchase of backpacks, hiking boots, climbing ropes, helmets, and climbing shoes for 300 low-income, predominantly Black and Latino youth who participate in the Explore Austin outdoor adventure program. Explore Austin matches sixth graders with mentors who stay with the explorers through high school, helping them to reach their full potential through challenging outdoor activities. The HDR Foundation has awarded four grants to Explore Austin, matching our employee mentors with local students and helping the organization make a difference in the lives of numerous youth annually.

G Road supports young people on their road to adulthood through creative programming, including a hands-on gardening and sustainability program that teaches kids about healthy habits. This $19,880 grant will be used to purchase a shipping container and shade structure for an outdoor instruction and food prep area within a community garden adjacent to downtown Phoenix. The space will be used to expand an after-school program with about 70 youth participants and their family members.  

Employee sponsor: Becky Santiago | Phoenix, AZ

This $11,319 grant to Heartland Family Services will go toward the purchase and installation of artificial grass in a sensory atrium designed to calm young people experiencing a behavioral health crisis. This safe space includes sensory tiles, picnic tables, weighted blankets, and other items for students that experience significant emotional dysregulation. Since 1875, Heartland Family Services has strengthened individuals, families, and communities in Nebraska and Iowa, including support of therapeutic school programs designed for students experiencing behavioral, emotional and/or mental health challenges.

This $11,260 grant to Metropolitan Community College Foundation will fund the installation of solar panels at the Yates Illuminates community center freight farm, a vertical hydroponic growing system designed inside a shipping container to allow year-round growing. The freight farm will enable MCC to add sustainable education programs on urban farming, alternative growing, food insecurity, and renewable energy, in addition to helping refugee and immigrant populations learn about the process and grow their own produce. The project will also support the addition of youth summer camps focuses on sustainable initiatives.

Employee sponsor: Will Kirby | Omaha, NE

The Ohio Wildlife Center is dedicated to fostering awareness of Ohio’s native wildlife through rehabilitation, education and wildlife health studies. This $19,849 grant will restore a pond within the wildlife center in Powell, Ohio, adding aeration systems that will allow native vegetation and fish species to thrive. The project will allow the education pond to continue to serve both people and wildlife as a seasonal respite for migrating waterfowl and a release site for recovering herons, ducks and geese.

As Houston’s largest network of urban farms, Plant It Forward empowers refugees to develop sustainable farming businesses that produce fresh, healthy food. This $20,000 grant will upgrade the organization’s cold storage facility with two new walk-in storage chambers that will increase storage capacity by 200%. The project will provide the farmer network with the facilities needed to scale the distribution of locally grown produce to more low-income households in the community.

Venture Outdoors has been removing the barriers that prevent people from connecting to the outdoors since 2001. This $5,845 grant will fund mountain bikes, helmets and repair kits to grow the organization’s new women and nonbinary mountain biking program. By providing affordable and accessible recreation and education opportunities, the organization has reached hundreds of thousands of people through cycling, hiking, skiing, kayaking and other outdoor experiences.

Employee sponsor: David Conti | Pittsburgh, PA

Following our annual employee Day of Giving, the HDR Foundation, HDR Canada Fund and HDR Australia Fund awarded more than US$164,000 in grants to food banks in the communities of employees. Sixty-seven local food banks received grants in recognition of employees in HDR offices who met a special challenge related to our annual fundraising efforts. 

Employees across HDR's three Australia offices responded to the catastrophic flooding in northern New South Wales with an AU$10,000 grant to Food Bank Australia. The grant is the first awarded through the recently established HDR Australia Fund. More than 100 Australian employees rallied to raise the funds during the HDR Foundation's annual Day of Giving in March.