MILWAUKEE, WI – Kahler Slater recently kicked off its second year partnering with Habitat for Humanity. The firm adopted Habitat for Humanity’s Milwaukee and Dane County extensions as its signature nonprofit beneficiaries in 2013 with a goal of focusing the firm’s energies on one organization to maximize its community impact.
“Kahler Slater is excited to partner with Habitat for Humanity for a second year,” said Kahler Slater chief executive officer George Meyer. “We learned a lot about the organization’s commitment to the community during last year’s efforts and are eager to get more involved on a more personal level this year.”
Kahler Slater employees in both the Milwaukee and Madison offices will be coordinating quarterly events with Habitat for Humanity. Volunteer events in Milwaukee will include:
- House Rehabilitation Projects: Homes in the Washington Park neighborhood that need minor renovation or preservation work done, including painting and re-siding.
- Community Development Projects: Homes in the Washington Park neighborhood that have hardware projects, including installing solar lighting in garages and alleyways, as well as putting locks on windows and doors.
- Victory Gardens: Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity has partnered with Victory Gardens Initiative (VGI) to ‘move grass, grow food’ for Habitat homeowners. Some of the neighborhoods that Habitat builds in are considered ‘food deserts’ with lack of access to fresh foods. VGI, with the help of volunteers, builds raised 4’x8′ garden beds that have organic soil, and place them in Habitat homeowners’ yards, providing homeowners with an affordable way to access fresh produce – through their own garden.
Kahler Slater/Habitat for Humanity 2013 Partnership Successes
Kahler Slater kicked off its initial partnership with Habitat for Humanity with the launch of a “ReStock the ReStore” campaign in June, 2013. The campaign goal was to raise awareness of the Habitat for Humanity ReStores amongst the enterprise and drive donations of items to restock the ReStores’ inventories of new and used furniture, building materials and more. Kahler Slater ultimately collected more than 25,948 lbs (13 tons) of items to be donated to the ReStore.
In September 2013, Kahler Slater supported Habitat for Humanity in various capacities during the firm’s United Way Days of Caring Retreat. Kahler Slater employees formed eight groups, volunteering at several different sites with Habitat for Humanity throughout the day. Staff assisted with activities ranging from cleaning and organizing the two Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations to prepping building components for the Habitat teams to use at new housing sites.
Kahler Slater wrapped up the firm’s 2013 Habitat for Humanity partnership with a holiday-inspired donation drive in December. The Giving Tree of Tools, a Habitat-themed holiday tree in the Kahler Slater Milwaukee office, was covered with gift tags labelled with a tool or cleaning supply item that Habitat volunteers and staff “wished for” during the holiday season. Kahler Slater employees and families donated more than 50 new tools and supplies for Habitat’s use.
About Kahler Slater
Founded in 1908, Milwaukee-based Kahler Slater began as a regional provider of architecture and interior design services and has grown to become a global, award-winning team of Experience Designers. With three offices in the United States and Singapore, Kahler Slater is a team of creative problem-solvers who work with visionary clients seeking better experiences and environments for themselves and the people they serve. Follow Kahler Slater online at www.kahlerslater.com and on Twitter at @KAHLERSLATER.
Kahler Slater extends partnership with Habitat for Humanity – BizTimes, (3/7/14)