While being best for the world is part of DTE’s mission all year long, every August we lean in even more through volunteerism by giving back to the communities where we live and serve.
Volunteers install baseboards at Gabby’s Ladder in Monroe during the Month of Caring.
During this year’s Month of Caring, team members partnered with their coworkers and community partners to make a difference across the state. From pitching in at food pantries and cleaning up parks, to skilled tradesman putting their talents to use, more than 800 volunteers spent nearly 5,000 hours doing their part for their communities.
Here are just some of the ways DTE teams made a difference this Month of Caring:
- Saline Area Social Services Stuff the Bus: DTE volunteers collected school supplies and loaded them into a school bus so Washtenaw County students in need could start the school year strong.
- Gleaners Food Distribution: Team members packed food to be shared with food pantries around metro Detroit, helping friends and neighbors throughout Wayne County.
- Ogemaw County Fair Cookout: Some of the DTE Gas team from our Tawas Service Center spent time cooking BBQ for visitors at the Ogemaw County Fair, providing more than 600 pounds of ribs for the event.
Volunteers pack produce for community supported agriculture boxes at The Farm during Month of Caring.
- The Farm at Trinity Health: Volunteers came together to harvest fresh vegetables for community supported agriculture boxes sold to members and distributed to food insecure people throughout Washtenaw County and beyond. The team also packed produce and arranged farm-grown flowers to be distributed to patients at the hospital in Ann Arbor.
- Junior Achievement of Great Lakes: One dedicated DTE team member volunteered for five consecutive weeks at a Grand Rapids elementary school teaching third grade students about money management.
- Gabby’s Ladder Grief Center: The team from the Monroe Power Plant came together to reinstall baseboards after this Monroe community resource was damaged in a flood last year.
- Forgotten Harvest Food Packing: DTE team members pitched in to pack and sort nutritious foods at this Oakland County warehouse so those in need in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties won’t go hungry.
- Team Red White and Blue: Volunteers regularly help this veterans’ organization in Grand Rapids enrich the lives of former service members and build a health and wellness community for veterans.
- River Raisin National Battlefield Park: Volunteers from the Monroe Power Plant worked to build giant Wampum belts at the Monroe national park so students can learn about these key Native American documents, while visiting the education center.
Efforts like those during Month of Caring – and all year long – help keep these invaluable community services running and the work done by the DTE team makes a big difference.
“We’ve had DTE helping out for many years,” said Loren Sanders, operations coordinator for The Farm at Trinity Health. “Large groups like this are instrumental, and the fact that DTE reaches out to us speaks volumes.”
DTE Energy volunteers help out at the River Raisin Battlefield National Park Education Center during Month of Caring.
Volunteering makes a difference for those who spend their time and effort giving back, too.
“Growing up, I had so many passionate volunteers in my life,” said Julia Mlinarevic, a staff engineer who volunteered at a Month of Caring event. “I love having the opportunity to give back. We need volunteers to make things happen and it’s great to be a part of it.”
While DTE’s Care Force is in action all the time, the Month of Caring was a great reminder for just what leading with caring can do.
“Month of Caring sparked a conversation on the team,” said Chris Lamphear, a manager in Corporate Communications. “It’s great to put a spotlight on caring, and I’m proud to work for a company that encourages us to devote time and energy towards worthy causes.”