Con Edison: partnerships - volunteer program

Con Edison's corporate volunteer program, The Power of Giving, provides opportunities for Con Edison employees and their families to donate time and resources to the communities in which they work and live. Volunteers participate in diverse and innovative activities at various nonprofit organizations throughout New York City and Westchester County. The Power of Giving challenges us as professionals and individuals while simultaneously improving the quality of life in our communities.

Thank you to all those who have donated their time and efforts!

4,515 hours
550 Con Edison employees and retirees contributed more than 4,500 hours to the Power of Giving Volunteer Corps at 108 events. They planted trees, cleaned up parks in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, sorted clothing donations, and got students excited about careers in math, science and engineering, among other volunteer assignments. Compared to 2011, our employees volunteered 1,000 more hours, the number of volunteers jumped by 77 percent, and we hosted more than twice as many events.

Of our 550 volunteers, 21 donated at least 25 hours each, making them official members of the Power of Giving Volunteer Corps.

98 hours - Most Amount of Time Volunteered by an Individual
Congratulations to Lisa Petta, a manager in the Law Department , who dedicated her time to the Fresh Air Fund and the 911memorial Fund. All of our employee volunteers receive the President's Volunteer Service Award on behalf of President Obama. This award honors the valuable contributions volunteers make all across America.

Painting with Publicolor:

On Saturday, November 13th, Volunteers from Con Edison and the non-profit Publicolor spent the day brightening the halls of Jamaica High School. Painting with vibrant yellows, energizing reds, and electric greens, employees paired off with high school students and to spend the day learning from one another.

Since 1996, Publicolor has led the renovation of 125 schools and 143 community facilities into bright, cheerful places. More than 700 volunteers participate each year, and 12,000 students and teachers have benefited from the welcoming designs. Con Edison has supported the organization since 2005.

Con Edison Cleans Up:

On Saturday, October 30th, Con Edison helped to beautify the grounds of the Beczak Environmental Education Center in Yonkers, New York. Con Edison employees volunteered 168 hours, working tirelessly to clear out weeds and debris along the headquarters' 2-acre Hudson River location. Afterwards, employees shifted their focus indoors, preparing and decorating for Beczak's annual community Halloween party, The "Boo-Zak" Celebration that served over 300 children.

Beczak, an organization dedicated to educating the community on the preservation of the Hudson River and surrounding areas, has been a partner of Con Edison's since 2000.

Employees Dig-in to Plant Trees:

Con Edison employees and their family members joined the New York Restoration Project on October 23rd in the Bronx's Van Cortlandt Park for a day of planting. Con Edison employees donned their work boots and work gloves to help plant over 2,500 deciduous trees throughout the park's northeast corner. The trees were supplied by Con Edison through money pledged when customers sign up for the company's e*bill payment program; Con Edison donates $1 to the NYRP for each customer that enrolls in the program.

To date, more than 7,000 trees have been planted with Con Edison's financial and volunteer support.

Employee Volunteers Bring Power to the People:

Con Edison volunteers gave kids the opportunity to use their energy to make electricity at the World Science Festival Street Fair in Washington Square Park on June 14.

A Con Edison booth, staffed by members of the Edison Engineering Society, highlighted educational materials and interactive demonstrations of the science behind electricity and the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Hands-on learning activities included a side-by-side comparison of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL) vs. incandescent light bulb efficiency and the "Pedal-A-Watt" bicycle. When connected to a small generator, the Pedal-A-Watt bicycle allows kids to supply the pedal-power required to light a light bulb.

The World Science Festival, designed to enliven science, brought together Nobel laureates, elite researchers and authors, policy makers, and top performers. Con Edison was a major sponsor of the festival.

Con Edison Supports Annual Robotics Competition:

This year, Con Edison sponsored or cosponsored 18 of the 64 local high school robotics teams competing in the annual F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) NYC regional robotics competition in March at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.

In addition to monetary and in-kind support, Con Edison employees contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to the competition. Con Edison volunteers acted as mentors to the teams: assisting with the research, designing, and building of the robots and providing general guidance and support to the teams for the six weeks leading up to and on the day of the competition.

This year's competition marks Con Edison's 9th year of support to the organization and its event.

Con Edison Keeps It Cool:

Volunteers from Con Edison and the YMCA of Greater New York joined together on October 9th to spread a "cool" white coating on two Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA roofs in Brooklyn and a YMCA roof in Cross Island, Queens.

Con Edison volunteers soaked their paint rollers and spread the reflective coating across thousands of square-feet of roofing in order to make the buildings more energy efficient.

Con Edison is the lead sponsor of NYC Cool Roofs, an initiative by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to promote roofs that conserve energy, curb global warming, and lower urban air temperatures. In 2010, NYC Cool Roofs coated more than one million square feet of New York City rooftops.