Hypertherm Reaches Milestone in Community Service Hours
Hypertherm is marking 150,000 hours of community service by preparing dinner for residents of the Hixon House, a shelter for homeless adults run by the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction, Vermont. Upper Valley Haven is a nonprofit that serves people struggling with poverty by providing food, shelter, education, service coordination, and other support.
Hypertherm associates normally cook dinner for Hixon House residents on the first Wednesday of every month. At the July dinner, associate volunteers took a minute to celebrate Hypertherm’s 150,000 community service hour with a quick photo.
“We are thrilled and proud to celebrate this momentous occasion at the Upper Valley Haven, who is one of our strongest and longest strategic partners,” said Stacey Chiocchio, Hypertherm’s community citizenship manager. “Although we marked our 150,000th hour at the Hixon House, this achievement is a testament to the work of all Hypertherm associates worldwide who have volunteered throughout the years as it is all of their hours that have collectively allowed us to reach this milestone.”
Though Hypertherm associates have volunteered throughout Hypertherm’s entire 50-year history, the company’s current Community Service Time program was not formally introduced until 2003, when all associates were granted 16 hours of paid time off to volunteer in the community. During that inaugural year, 73 of the 700 Associates working at Hypertherm at the time volunteered for 739 hours.
The program has enjoyed steady and rapid growth since then with Hypertherm increasing its CST program to 24 hours per associate in 2012 and 32 hours in 2017. Last year more than 86 percent of associates served a combined 138,949 hours, an average of 21 hours per volunteer, with many serving in excess of their 32 hours by doing everything from physical labor to working in classrooms and serving terms on nonprofit boards.
Hypertherm combines its volunteer work with philanthropic funding though its HOPE (Hypertherm Owners’ Philanthropic Endeavors) Foundation, as the company believes close collaboration with nonprofit organizations will help it accelerate the positive impact Hypertherm hopes to have in the community.
Hypertherm designs and manufactures advanced cutting products for use in a variety of industries, including automotive.
