Since 1924, individuals associated with The Children’s Home have been those who see the problem and find a way to be involved in the solution. We consist of those who make the world a better place. Thank you Steve and Zachry Group for partnering with us to fulfill our mission.

How long has Zachry been connected with The Children’s Home?
Our involvement with The Children’s Home really started last year – one of our employees whose mother works at The Children’s Home introduced us. We have a care team with representatives from each group that manages our charitable efforts from year to year. Every year we do various charitable efforts and volunteer for large national groups like MS, but I also like to get the employees involved in something in the community – something that really impacts lives where we feel it and see it.

How did you originally get involved?
The first thing we did was a cookout. We brought food and 20 or so volunteers to hang out. We cooked, served and played games. We spent 2 or 3 hours hanging out with the kids. We’d like to do a cookout like that every year. Right now, our only exposure is the Christmas light decorating and lighting party, and we’ll do Race the Trails. I’d like to be involved more… I was thinking we could do bowling with the kids – split up into kid/adult teams. It could be a lot of fun, and we would really get to know the kids.

And you have one of our kids as an intern?
Yes – Arnie (Padilla, Community Outreach Coordinator) told me he had a student who is inclined to science and math and might be interested in what we do. She’s been coming every week and working on a project for us – she’s very energetic and cheerful, just as much now as the first day she came in.

There are a lot of kids who come and say, “I want to be an electrical engineer… I want to be a structural engineer… but they’re just 16 and they don’t really know. It’s our responsibility to bring them in here and expose them to different types of engineering so they can make a more educated decision for their future.

What is it that you like about serving at The Children’s Home?
I like the personal contact – the direct involvement with the kids. Whether my employees know it or not, we can work, we can play, we can have our own family unit – but what really rounds us out, what really makes us satisfied is doing something for someone else and not expecting anything in return. That’s what completes us as people. Giving an employee a chance to make a difference in the community makes them a different employee – it makes them a very well-balanced, happy person.