National Grid : Employee Donation Drive for Ukraine Yields Overwhelming Response

(Photo: Kathy Wisnewski, National Grid Director of Community & Customer Management with a donation of $5,000 to Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church to aid people of Ukraine)

It all started on March 6 in Lindenhurst, a day of community spirit as residents pulled together to collect needed supplies for soldiers and people in the Ukraine. To help with their humanitarian efforts, National Grid donated $5,000 through its Project C Community Engagement initiative to the Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lindenhurst.

National Grid employee spirit was also in play. Employees Lauren Perry of the Customer and Community Engagement team and Ed Owsinski of Gas Capital Project Delivery initiated a call to action for employees to donate supplies for Ukrainian relief efforts and they were in for a big surprise. Within days, the cubes in Melville were stacked with essential items including work boots, shoes, medical supplies, PPE, warm clothing, baby items, personal hygiene products, and pet supplies. The response was so overwhelming that donations are helping to support other non-profits and community partners across Long Island who are also collecting essential items to help the people of Ukraine.

(Photo: Lauren Perry and Ed Owsinski take a break from sorting through employee donations for the people of Ukraine)

"It doesn't take much for National Grid employees to step in to help whether it's people in our communities or people thousands of miles away" said Lauren Perry of Customer & Community Engagement. "A simple email outreach garnered thousands of donated supplies that will go a long way to helping the people of Ukraine. I'm incredibly grateful to work with such a great team to make this happen."

To date, donations have been made to Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lindenhurst, Assembly member Charles D. Lavine & the Ukrainian Americans of Long Island (UAL) Humanitarian Aid Drive, Northport Rotary's 13^th Annual Soles4Souls shoe drive, and the Kings Park School District in partnership with Senator Mario R. Mattera.