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Community Involvement

As committed as we are to being good partners with our Clients, Vertek employees are equally committed to partnering with and supporting our local communities and deserving charities. It is an important part of who we are. The Chair of our Charitable Donation Committee gathers ideas from the employees as to what charities they are interested in supporting and meets with the Committee to decide which charities should receive donations.

Vertek donates $5,000 per quarter to Vermont charities. We always try to schedule an event around each donation so Vertek employees can dedicate their time to participate in charitable events. The goal is to have fun while making important contributions to those in need.

First Quarter 2011:
Vertek’s First Quarter donation was shared between the YWCA of Vermont and The Boys & Girls Club of Burlington, Vermont. The YWCA received $2,500 to advance their mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Vertek also gave $2,500 to the Boys & Girls Club to help with their work of inspiring and enabling community youth to realize their potential as productive, healthy, responsible, and caring citizens.

Second Quarter 2011:
Vertek’s community support extends to the Denver, Colorado area where Vertek maintains an office. In the Second Quarter, Vertek gave $5,000 to SungateKids, a Denver organization dedicated to supporting victims of child abuse by using a child-focused approach to the investigation of crimes against children.

Third Quarter 2011:
In the Third Quarter, Vertek donated $5,000 to the Williston, Vermont-based Stern Center for Language and Learning. The Stern Center works to evaluate and teach students with learning disabilities, dyslexia, language disorders, autism, attention deficit disorders, and learning style differences. The Center provides educational services for over 900 children and adults annually and designs and delivers professional learning programs for over 1,500 educators each year.

Fourth Quarter 2011:
Special Olympics Vermont received Vertek’s Fourth Quarter donation of $5,000. Special Olympics provides Vermonters with intellectual disabilities opportunities for year-round sports training and athletic competition. Child and adult Special Olympians are given the chance to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendships with their families, other Olympians, and our community.


Additionally, throughout the year Vertek employees help our community in many different ways, showing our Vertek pride.  Beyond our quarterly contributions, Vertek is pleased to offer long-term support to these groups and organizations:

Angels Network:
Vertek is a part of the nationwide "Angels Network", supporting the troops in Iraq with boxes of items they need and can enjoy. This is Vertek's way of showing our appreciation and sharing our thoughts and prayers during their service to our nation. We will continue to send out our gift boxes once a month or until our heroes come home.

Community Coat Drive:
Vertek participates annually in a “Community Coat Drive”, collecting winter coats for area shelters and those in need. Vertek employees collect around 100 coats each year; deliver to the dry cleaners to prepare them for distribution in our community through the COTS Family Shelter.

Chittenden Food Shelf:
Vertek supports the local Chittenden Country Food Shelf, organizing fundraisers to raise cash as well as collecting non-perishable goods for the Food Shelf which is distributed throughout the year to those in need.

Vermont Warmth Program:
Vertek contributes funds to help relieve those in need with fuel assistance to get them through the very long and cold winter season here in Vermont.

Erin Raftery Golf Classic:
Every year Vertek supports and contributes to the Erin Raftery Golf Classic sponsored by employees of AT&T. The event raises funds to support the care of employees or members of their families with cancer. Each year the proceeds go to a different person. Vertek has been supporting this event for 12 years and will continue to support it in 2010. Vertek provides the golf balls for each golfer and sponsors a team of four golfers for the event.

Camp Ta-Kum-Ta for Kids:
Vertek supports sending children to Camp Ta-Kum-Ta — Vermont’s camp for kids who have or have had cancer. The Camp offers a one-week-a-year jam-packed magical happening for each child. There are traditional program offerings in activities like swimming, athletics, ropes course, arts and crafts, and music, but Ta-Kum-Ta’s true calling card is special events: boat rides and lakeside cookouts with the Vermont State Police, dance parties, rock climbing expeditions, theme carnivals, ballgames, and an annual formal dinner/dance. Camp Ta-Kum-Ta has an all-volunteer staff of 70 and is independent and self-sustaining. The Camp is financed completely through private donations and fundraising from generous contributors like Vertek. Camp Ta-Kum-Ta accepts all of its children tuition-free.
www.takumta.org

Adopt a Family for Christmas:
“Adopt a Family for Christmas” is another annual event Vertek employees look forward to each year. The Vermont Children’s Aid Society gives Vertek the opportunity to adopt a local family for Holiday gift giving. Fundraising events months prior to the Christmas Holiday go to the purchase of gifts and food items for our adopted family, sharing the joys and true meaning of the season. It is a time of blessing for all in that we are able to help ease the financial stresses for a family during the Holidays.

Boys and Girls Club of Burlington:
Boys and Girls Club of Burlington offers support and mentoring for area children who use the Club services. Vertek helps to financially support elementary-school aged children in a safe and secure and learning environment. Busy working parents can rest assured and have the peace of mind that their children have a safe place to play sports, use the computer center, take part in educational and fun activities, and simply spend safe supervised time with friends and adult staff.

American Heart Walk and American Cancer Society:
American Heart Walk and American Cancer Society Daffodil Days – Both are annual events where Vertek works to raise funds by selling daffodils here at Vertek by participating in and encouraging friends and family to take steps toward heart-healthy lifestyles.   Vertek is pleased to contribute to the American Heart Association, which supports research and education to help those who will be touched by heart disease

Action Against Hunger:
Vertek supports AAH (Action Against Hunger). During the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, Vertek raised over $1,000 to help those in need around the world who experienced the devastation and losses due to the tsunami. Vertek was very happy to support an organization like AAH who is very successful in management of funds they receive, as 89% of the donations are actually used to carry out emergency help to all of their worthy causes around the world.
www.aah-usa.org

North Country Animal League:
North Country Animal League began as the Lamoille County Adoption Service in 1990. During its first three years in operation, LCHS arranged adoptions for close to 400 animals per year. With great support from the community members like Vertek, NCAL has arranged adoptions for over 6,000 animals since 1994. Through the generosity of local veterinarians and support from volunteers, every adopted animal has been spayed or neutered. NCAL does not euthanize animals in their care to make room for incoming animals. Adoptions have increased and fundraising activities have allowed NCAL to save lives and offer healthy animals to our community.

JFK Elementary School Reading Program:
From 2001 to 2008, members of Vertek supported our community by reading and working on math skills with the students of JFK Elementary School in Winooski, Vermont. Over the course of the program, Vertek sent participants from all levels of staff and management to the reading and math tutoring programs.

Speaking about Vertek readers, JFK Coordinator of Education Mary O'Rourke said, "you people do a lot for us and we are very grateful". Vertek participants in the program were equally thankful for the chance to have a positive influence on the students of JFK Elementary.