PRESS RELEASE DATE: SEPT. 29, 2006

With an assist from the United Way Volunteer & Community Resource Center (VCRC), about 70 Pratt & Whitney employees and family members tackled major projects in Indiantown on Sept. 23 -- just the latest efforts in the company’s long history of giving back to the community.

The Pratt & Whitney project was organized by the company's Employee Volunteer Organization (EVO), which coordinates the company's community volunteer efforts. VCRC helps to identify worthy projects and provide support as needed.

On Sept. 23, employees and family members tackled two big projects. One was to re-paint a building at Hope Rural School in Indiantown. Parents from the community joined the effort, preparing the area by taping around windows and scraping old paint. VCRC called upon another generous company, Gulfstream Aluminum and Shutter, to buy the paint used in the project.

Pratt’s main project of the day was an “extreme makeover” of a hurricane-ravaged home in Indiantown. The company and its employees supported the effort with monetary donations for renovation materials and to purchase new furniture for the family. Pratt volunteers spent the day painting, landscaping and re-roofing the house whose residents are clients of Indiantown Non-Profit Housing Inc., a United Way partner agency.   

This past summer, Pratt & Whitney EVO members and family painted the interior of Gertrude Walden Child Care Center. And employees also donated nearly 20,000 pencils to the School Supplies for Students Drive, which is organized by VCRC.

For more information about VCRC, please visit www.martinvolunteers.org or call (772) 220-4472.