Trunk or Treat for weatherization
Salem’s annual National Weatherization Day Trunk or Treat event provided helpful education from a variety of utilities and organizations – including NW Natural – for curious parents, and toys and treats for the cute, costumed kids who accompanied them.
Attendees enjoyed hot dogs cooked up by NW Natural at the Trunk or Treat, hosted by Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. Contractors, nonprofits, utilities and public assistance agencies were on hand to pass out treats and toys for the kids and provide helpful tips for grownups on how to make their home more energy efficient, meet with companies that specialize in weatherization and heating, and learn about assistance options for families.
“Having Trunk or Treat as a draw for families is a fantastic opportunity for us to let people in the Salem area know about all the weatherization and energy efficiency upgrade options available to them,” Rebeca Enriquez, Energy Efficiency Program Manager, said. “Even small home improvements can add up to significant savings, and as a company dedicated to energy efficiency it’s important for us to get the word out in our communities.”
Constructing Hope event offers peek at NW Natural careers
Recent graduates of Constructing Hope’s pre-apprenticeship program took part in a field job workshop at NW Natural’s Sherwood Operations and Training Center to learn about construction and field service intern and trainee programs at the company.
The four participants tried hands-on work after watching demonstrations by our skilled staff, such as basic meter servicing and operating an excavator simulator. They also learned about NW Natural’s role in emergency response and keeping communities safe.
Attendees were recent graduates of Constructing Hope’s 10-week construction and life skills training program. NW Natural is proud to support Constructing Hope. Jon Vetsch, NW Natural Talent Acquisition Manager, said relationships with groups like Constructing Hope are a cornerstone of NW Natural’s talent acquisition strategy.
“Working with community partners is critical to the creation of a more diverse and dynamic workforce,” Jon added.
Educating tomorrow's homeowners
Every year, NW Natural spends time in the communities we serve educating customers and the public about home safety, particularly as it pertains to natural gas.
A recent event at the Portland Community College Cascade Campus provided a relatively unique opportunity to reach college students, who expressed interest in becoming future homeowners and asked lots of great questions about natural gas and equipment such as gas meters.
David Coiteux, NW Natural Safety Specialist, said students were curious about safety features on meters, NW Natural’s modern pipeline system, and the new meters being installed as part of the company’s meter modernization program.
NW Natural believes in Portland
Since 1859, NW Natural has called Portland home. We got our start right here in the Rose City, and we’re dedicated to the city’s success well into the future.
One way we show this commitment is through involvement in events like We Believe in Portland, where companies and their employees take to the streets of downtown Portland to clean up litter and build camaraderie in the process. NW Natural and numerous other companies took time on a beautiful Friday afternoon to head out and do our part to help spiff up our city. We Believe in Portland is organized through AdoptOneBlock, a Portland-based organization dedicated to making our world cleaner and happier one block at a time.
“At the core of AdoptOneBlock and We Believe in Portland is doing our part – that if we all pitch in, we can make a transformative difference,” Dwight Adkins, NW Natural Community Relations Manager, said. “Our dedication to the communities we serve starts right outside the doors to our Portland offices through programs like We Believe in Portland.”
Supporting students entering trades
NW Natural is deepening its commitment to educating the next generation, particularly when it comes to learning a trade.
Each year, NW Natural awards two Career Technical Education scholarships to graduating high school seniors entering training programs at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC) in Albany. This past year, the recipient students received $5,000 scholarships to earn certificates in welding and automotive tech.
The company partners with most community colleges throughout our service territory, and with LBCC essentially next door to NW Natural’s Albany Resource Center, the partnership has been deepening in recent years. For the past two years, NW Natural has hosted a cohort of teachers from nearby high schools participating in the Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub, housed at LBCC. Educators are able to visit NW Natural’s Albany facility, speak with longtime staff who can outline career possibilities at the company and glean valuable information they can share with students seeking out career paths.
While scholarship recipients have no obligation to work at NW Natural, a variety of skills students learn in CTE programs can be applicable to NW Natural’s work now or in the future.
“We believe strongly in supporting young people in the communities we serve, and people who are choosing careers in the trades,” said Sama Shagaga, Government Affairs & Partnerships Manager at NW Natural. “Caring is one of our core values. This is a wonderful way for us to share that value with the community.”