Paving News & Insights
Giving Back to Our Veterans
At Kansas Asphalt, one of our core values is giving back and doing our part to strengthen communities. As a national parking lot paving construction company, we believe it is our responsibilty to contribute to organizations that work to improve the lives of people in our communities. In that spirit, two members of the Kansas Asphalt executive team volunteered to help give back to men and women who have fallen on hard times after giving so much to our country.
Kansas Asphalt Executive Vice President of Construction Management Pam Peckinpaugh and Vice President, CM-Capital Jeanne Pollard traveled to Asheville, N.C., in October 2018 and worked alongside about 400 other volunteers and several vendor partners on a project sponsored by The Home Depot Charity Foundation. The effort included the refurbishment of a former church and hotel facility and the 12 acres it sits on. The volunteers built walking paths, fences, a gazebo, storage units, and installed new landscaping in addition to working to convert the church structure into housing and space to teach new trades for homeless and disabled veterans. The goal is to help these veterans acquire new job skills and move toward financial stability.
New riding lawn mowers and other equipment and tools were donated so that the veteran residents will be able to maintain all the beautification improvements that resulted from the volunteer project.
This particular veterans program is modeled after similar efforts in other parts of the country. Local organizers predict as many as 1,000 veterans will pass through the Asheville location in the coming months.
"This was a very humbling and exhilarating experience for me to have the opportunity to give back to the veterans who have risked their very own lives to protect my freedom," said Pollard, the proud daughter of a Korean War veteran and thankful wife of an Army veteran who served 10 years, including in Operation Desert Storm. "When I shared my Home Depot Charity Foundation experience with both of them, they were both overwhelmed with the gratitude that people care enough to donate their time to support disabled and homeless veterans."
"This was a fantastic opportunity to give back to those who have given so much for our country," Peckinpaugh said. "We owe these heroes a great deal, and it was wonderful to be a part of ensuring they receive the care and respect that they have earned."