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Gilbane Gives Back: Cultivating Community Impact

August 20, 2024
Yvette Stevens

At Gilbane, we don’t just build buildings; we build connections. Caring is at the center of so much of what we do at Gilbane – on and off the job site. Community service is at the heart of our company culture and something that our team members are encouraged to use as an outlet to align themselves with causes they feel closest to. We aim to uplift the communities we are building, as these areas are not just where we work but where we live, and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing our local communities thrive.

To that point, Gilbane has created a variety of ways to support “giving back.” The company offers a 100% matching gift program to double the impact of donations made by our people. We also have a volunteer time off program to support volunteering in our local communities. 

While we live by our “Gilbane Gives Back” mindset throughout the year, we are focusing on maximizing our community impact now more than ever as Gilbane’s first enterprise-wide Community Impact Challenge approaches this September. There are countless opportunities to give back and create positive change, and our team members often gravitate towards opportunities that boost civic involvement, unite communities, inspire a chain reaction of service, support local charities, and encourage personal growth.

How can you get involved? Take some inspiration from our teams across the country working to shape their communities for the better:

Washington, D.C.

washington dc community event

A recent, notable collaboration from our Washington, D.C., business unit was with Martha’s Table, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. For nearly 45 years, Martha’s Table has worked to support strong children, families, and communities by increasing access to healthy food, quality education, and family support in the District of Columbia.

Most recently, the DC Business Unit partnered with their local Hol@ Chapter to participate in a Martha’s Table Book Drive, collecting over 50 children’s books to be donated on World Book Day. In addition to this, the DC team regularly volunteers at the Martha’s Table Food Warehouse, where they pack school lunches, unload food donations, and assist with stocking the building’s food pantry. 

Find out how you can get involved with Martha’s Table by clicking here: Martha’s Table Volunteer Opportunities  

Boston, MA

rebuilding together boston photo

The Gilbane Boston, Massachusetts team recently collaborated with Rebuilding Together Boston (RTB) to clean, restore, and renovate a local resident’s home. Founded in 1973, Rebuilding Together works nationwide to repair homes, revitalize communities, and rebuild lives.

Our team joined forces with RTB volunteers to perform essential repairs and enhancements on the home, ensuring that the structure was safer and more comfortable. The work included painting, debris removal, gutter extension installations, and accessibility improvements, all completed with the utmost care and skill.

This project directly reflects Gilbane Building Company’s mission: to enrich the lives of those in our communities. By using our expertise and resources, we not only improved a home but made a significant, positive impact on the local resident’s life.

Find your local Rebuilding Together affiliate and learn how you can get involved here: Rebuilding Together Volunteer Opportunities

Buffalo, NY & Columbus, OH

Over the years, Gilbane has developed a true partnership with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve the places they call home.

Recently, our Buffalo, New York EmpoWer group geared up for Buffalo Habitat for Humanity’s 2024 Women Build event, where the team worked tirelessly to build walls for two homes. Our Habitat Buffalo team participates in several other build days a year, coordinating fundraising efforts such as Hammer & Ales; a signature event where Habitat Buffalo partners with local bars, restaurants, breweries, and more to raise the funds to build houses.

Gilbane’s Columbus, Ohio team also recently worked with Habitat for Humanity to build a playhouse as part of Habitat’s annual Playhouse Project Blitz Build. At the event, sponsors are assigned a local family and design a playhouse to fit their interests. Our Gilbane team assembled, painted, and decorated a playhouse to create a one-of-a-kind play space. Since the program’s start, over 200 playhouses have been built for families across the community.

Find your local Habitat for Humanity and learn about upcoming opportunities here: Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Opportunities

Charlotte, NC

Our Charlotte, North Carolina team participated in the 2024 Canstruction competition and brought the heat, walking away with the trophy for Best Meal. Hosted by AIA, Canstruction is a yearly competition where industry professionals build structures made from canned goods to raise awareness and support for alleviating hunger in our communities. All cans get donated to local food banks after the event, with the cans from Charlotte’s event going to their local Second Harvest Food Bank.

Learn more and get involved with your upcoming local Canstruction events here: Canstruction Volunteer Opportunities

Sacramento, CA

Gilbane Sacramento regularly partners with Yolo Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that aims to meet the food and nutrition needs of Yolo County, just west of Sacramento. Yolo Food Bank connects with grocers and retailers, farmers and distributors, private sector and governmental agencies, and 80+ partner agencies countywide to distribute more than 10 million pounds of food annually.

Gilbane team members in Sacramento started volunteering weekly at Yolo Food Bank’s Friday Drive-Thru Food Distribution in 2020 while serving 250 client families per week. Our team has remained regularly involved for the last four years and has seen the need for the organization and its impact grow as the number of families served has doubled to 500 client families per week.

For opportunities to volunteer or donate, check out their website: Yolo Food Bank Volunteer Opportunities

At Gilbane, our motto is “Building More Than Buildings.” Our projects build communities, improve the economy, and help the environment. While our business involves strengthening the communities around us through infrastructure, our goal is to strengthen those same communities through volunteerism, and meaningful partnerships. We look forward to continuing to positively contribute to the overall quality of life in all the communities we call home.



About Authors
Yvette Stevens is vice president, director of economic inclusion and community affairs. In this national leadership role, she leads the planning and execution of Gilbane’s corporate economic inclusion strategies to support our commitment to marketplace inclusion and diversity. Yvette builds partnerships with MBE and WBE firms and drives outreach for workforce development. She is also a champion for UJIMA, Gilbane’s employee resource group for our community of Black/African American employees.
Read more posts by Yvette Stevens