July 2008: JMG National Award
BRUNSWICK, MAINE, July 14, Downeast Energy & Building Supply receives the “Above and Beyond Corporate Citizenship” Award for 2008 from Jobs for America’s Graduates at a ceremony in New Orleans as part of the national Jobs for America’s Graduates conference. Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) nominated Downeast Energy to recognize the extraordinary level of support the company has provided to JMG and Maine students. JMG is a part of the 36 state network of JAG programs and has been recognized 14 years in a row as the best program of its kind in the nation. In its 15-year history, JMG has provided more than 20,000 students who were at the highest risk of disengaging from school or dropping out of school with the skills and motivation needed to succeed in higher education and the workforce. JMG offers a venue for students to interact with employers and community-based organizations. JMG President and CEO, Craig Larrabee, credits Downeast Energy and other Maine businesses for the success of the program in Maine. “It sends a message to JMG students that they are valuable and people care about what paths they choose and what careers they select. Downeast Energy has encouraged our students by supporting the program financially as well as getting directly involved at statewide student events and hosting our students at Downeast facilities”. Downeast Energy became a community partner with JMG in 2006 by hosting a Career Day at its Brunswick, Maine, facility for students from the JMG program at Lewiston Regional Technical Center. The day included hands-on activities and demonstrations about careers as designers, drivers, safety managers, technicians and other positions at the family owned business. The employees at Downeast Energy enjoyed the experience so much that they repeated the event in the fall of 2007 with JMG students from Mt. Ararat High School and Lincoln Academy. The students not only learned a great deal about the home heating and building supplies industries, but they were also treated to breakfast, lunch and baseball caps. Downeast Energy’s vice president of marketing, Betsy Morrell, says that supporting JMG is a natural fit for the company. “Introducing Maine’s young people to careers in our industry helps us ensure that we’ll have responsible, hard-working employees in the future. Plus our employees love sharing their work, education, and life experiences with the JMG students.” Employees from Downeast have shown enthusiasm for the program from the beginning of the partnership. Jim Pietkiewicz, General Manager of the Hallowell office, participated in JMG’s Career Development Conference as a Career Expo exhibitor with a Downeast booth. While Jim’s team - Charlie Wilson, Cheryl Ortiz, Melanie Boucher, Troy Lambert and Rhonda Turner – staffed the Career Expo booth, Jim helped with the conference by judging marketplace exhibits created by the JMG students. Beyond this strong show of support for JMG students, Downeast Energy has provided financial gifts to JMG and Downeast employees have volunteered at statewide events, attended JMG school ceremonies and have spoken in JMG classrooms. “We are extremely honored to receive this award from Jobs for America’s Graduates,” said John Peters, President of Downeast Energy & Building Supply, “this type of recognition is truly a reflection of the great employees we have here and our mission as a company to give back to the community and make a difference. This is one of our true success stories and we thank our employees, JMG and JAG for this wonderful honor. “ About Downeast Energy & Building Supply Downeast Energy and Building Supply operates 13 offices in southern and central Maine and Dover, NH, and a building supply store and lumber yard in Brunswick, Maine. For more information, please visit www.downeastenergy.com. About Jobs for Maine Graduates Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) was established in 1993 by the Maine State Legislature. JMG is currently serving approximately 3,300 students in more than 50 school-based sites statewide. The mission of JMG is to identify students who face barriers to education, and to guide each one on to a successful path toward continued education, a meaningful career, and productive adulthood. JMG’s core programs include a high-school and a middle-school program. For more information about JMG, please visit www.jmg.org.