Thirst Aid Drive - St. JosephSundt Construction Company, with the help from its subcontractors and suppliers, will lead off the 2012 Thirst Aid Water Drive on May 11 by delivering 150,000 bottles of water by semi-truck to St. Joseph the Worker, a Human Service Campus Agency.

As temperatures rise, employees from Sundt’s corporate headquarters in Tempe are once again gearing up to participate in the annual Thirst Aid water bottle drive to benefit St. Joseph the Worker, a nonprofit organization that aids the homeless and other disadvantaged individuals throughout the Phoenix area. Many of them suffer from thirst, heat-related illness and even death when temperatures soar in the spring and summer months.

The Sundt Foundation organized the company’s first Thirst Aid event in 2010 with the hope of collecting 1,200 water bottles. They crushed their goal by collecting 49,000 bottles, and that number tripled the following year when 149,000 bottles came through our doors – so many that St. Joseph the Worker was able to build collaboration with the entire Human Services Campus.

As a result of Sundt’s donation, St. Joseph the Worker, in collaboration with the Human Services Campus service providers, did not have to turn away any individual who needed water.

The Human Services Campus, an unprecedented collaboration of 15 homeless service providers, was created in 2005 to address the growing demand for services by people experiencing homelessness. Each day, 1,300 men and women access resources such as shelter, physical and mental health services, dental care, substance abuse treatment, employment services, and housing placement.

Collectively, each agency worked with their supporters to collect donated water and heat relief funding to be able to provide for the needs of the individuals utilizing services on the Human Services Campus.

Each year, the City of Phoenix holds a water drive and places hydration stations around the community.  With the support of our collective donors, St. Joseph the Worker and other Human Service Campus providers did not have to reach out to the City of Phoenix for the first time.

By providing for the individuals on the campus through this collective effort, the City of Phoenix was able to support smaller agencies that do not have the support of organizations such as Sundt Construction Company.

The goal for this year’s drive; Collecting 150,000 water bottles and continuing the commitment to making the event as green as possible. How? St. Joseph the Worker in partnership with the Human Services Campus providers, are installing recycling containers at all areas where trash receptacles are currently located so that the water bottles aren’t thrown away.

“As Sundt employees, we’re fortunate to have nice jobs in comfortable offices where we always have access to clean, cool water,” says Lisa White, a Foundation board member and organizer of the event. “Not everyone is so lucky, which is why the Sundt Foundation decided to get involved in Thirst Aid with our own water bottle drive. Since then, the participation and support have been tremendous. Many of our subcontractors have also gotten involved. It’s so satisfying to reach out and do what we can to help others – for them and for us.”

“On behalf of everyone here at St. Joseph the Worker, we wish to thank Sundt Construction Company for being the foundation that makes these collaborative efforts possible,” says Brent Downs, Executive Director for St. Joseph the Worker.  “Their continued support will provide needed heat relief to over 1,300 men and women every day!”

For more information on Sundt Construction, visit Sundt’s website at sundt.com. Also, for more information on Thirst Aid, visit St. Joseph the Worker’s website at sjwjobs.org/thirst-aid.