Partnering with the Inland Northwest

Russell MacKenzie, UGM Director of Food Services, helps assemble plates at UGM's City-Wide Thanksgiving Dinner.

The connection between a waste management company and UGM Food Services may not be the most obvious one from the outset. However, Chuck Conklin, manager of Wheelabrator, Inc., has become one of the Mission’s best corporate partners – buying cases of turkeys at Thanksgiving, cases of hams at Christmas and providing a monthly stipend for the purchase of aluminum foil, latex gloves, plastic wrap and other kitchen necessities.

Last week, Chuck brought Melissa Lohnes, corporate communications officer for Waste Management in Boston, to the Mission to see for herself the impact accomplished through Wheelabrator’s partnership with the Union Gospel Mission.

Melissa filmed video footage to show the various ways Wheelbrator helps the poor and homeless.  The videos will be shown internally to illustrate corporate responsibility – how a business can use its resources to make a positive impact on the community in which it does business.

Chuck doesn’t just write checks. He gets personally involved – driving to Wal-Mart to fill his truck with pallets of turkeys and hams and then delivering them to the Mission. Guys who work in the kitchen and warehouse on a regular basis recognize him, know that he is committed to serving and helping them.

When you meet Chuck, it’s obvious he’s not in it for the recognition. Still, by spreading the word, he’s serving as an ambassador for UGM and setting an example for other business leaders to follow.

~Russell MacKenzie, UGM Director of Food Services