They say charity begins at home, but it can also continue at work. I receive Google Alerts for a lot of industry terms on a daily basis to be sure no news slips through the cracks. Not a day goes by without at least one of those news items being about an HVAC contractor giving back to his or her respective community.
This is everything from Clayton, North Carolina-based Carolina Comfort Air donating new HVAC systems every month in 2015 to families in need to Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning Repairmen sponsoring an Autism Awareness Week community breakfast near its Tempe, Arizona, headquarters. The latter example being a case of a company living up to its name.
It’s a testament to the HVAC industry that so much charity work is done by those working in it.
“Our president wanted to do something big this year, so we decided to give away one system a month to a deserving family. This way, we are giving someone safe, year-round comfort and helping them avoid high utility bills, as well,” said Aimee Sharrett, marketing director, Carolina Comfort Air. “We are truly just giving back to the communities that have supported us over the years. We want people to see we care about our neighbors. We’re sure the rewards will come back to us in many ways, but the biggest reward is knowing we helped someone be comfortable when they couldn’t afford it on their own.”
While Sharrett is correct in that helping the needy is exceptionally rewarding, there are other rewards for the company that can’t be discounted, too. One is that good feeling you get when doing charity work filters down to your employees. Most people want work to be more than just a job. When they notice their employer is making the community they live in better, it goes a long way. This is especially true of the millennial generation that will soon be making up a fairly good chunk of the workforce.
Every employee at Dayton, Ohio-based McAfee Heating and Air Conditioning contributes some sort of donation to the company’s charity endeavors — namely the McAfee Foundation for Children and Youth.
“When we hire them, we tell them what we’re involved in. We can’t make them give, but everybody wants to give,” said Greg McAfee, owner. “It is deducted from their checks. Some people give $1 a week while others give $20. We try to keep the whole team involved.”
And the community will certainly recognize and take note. Be it a sponsorship of a Little League team or a donation of an air conditioner, the community will notice and realize the company is a part of the community rather than just doing business in it. Who do you think they are going to call when their air conditioner goes out this summer?
The McAfee Foundation focuses on kids with asthma issues. Their contributions go to items such as helping parents with copays and buying inhalers for kids. The company includes information about the foundation in its product literature. For obvious reasons, the company proudly posts the write-up next to information on its air cleaners.
Every contractor can decide on his or her own cause, but tying it to the business is not a bad idea. In today’s day of social media and communication, your good deeds get talked about in the community a lot more. It’s something to think about.
Publication date: 5/4/2015
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