Finalists of the 2014 Governor’s Points of Light Awards
Not only does this year commemorate the 150th anniversary of our Silver State, but it is also the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps and Nevada Volunteers. Throughout the years, we have recognized incredible volunteers, volunteer programs, and volunteer managers, and this year will be no different!
We hope that you enjoy finding out more about each finalist as we highlight them in the weeks leading up to the Governor’s Points of Light Awards Ceremony. Governor’s Points of Light finalists exemplify volunteerism through their hard work and effort to make our communities a better place to live, work, and play. Reading about them, touched our hearts and we expect it will touch yours heart too. Join us in giving them applause and accolades in the coming month and on September 18th!
May their efforts encourage you to continue in your volunteer efforts, or even begin your volunteer journey today!
Join us in congratulating Southwest Gas Corporation as a finalist in the Corporate/Business Volunteer Program category…
Since its inception in 1931, Southwest Gas has focused not only on serving its customers well, but being an integral part of the communities it serves. The company’s volunteer group, The Blue – Building Lives Up Everywhere, participates in multiple projects during the year through sponsorship and volunteerism. The group’s longest-running project is National Rebuilding Day with Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada. In April, Southwest Gas completed its 20th annual project having nearly 100 volunteers help to repair and repaint the home of a local senior in need. Over the course of two days, Southwest Gas volunteers replaced the lawn with landscape rock, scraped and painted the home’s exterior and surrounding fence, cut down and removed trees and installed landscape lighting.
Other core Blue events include the Candlelighters of Southern Nevada 5K and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department BalloonFest. Employee-volunteers also donate their time to other causes that are close to their heart, whether by serving meals at Catholic Charities, participating in Teacher Appreciation Week by recognizing educators at a Las Vegas at-risk elementary school or organizing donation drives.
In addition to volunteerism, Southwest Gas employees are very philanthropic. The Fuel For Life workplace giving campaign gives Southwest Gas employees the chance to donate to ten local charities in the company’s service areas. In 2013, Southwest Gas employees pledged $1.2 million to community organizations. That is more than a 10 percent increase from the previous year and the per-employee giving rate and participation rate are both nearly double the national averages in both categories.
The values instilled at Southwest Gas Corporation remind all employees that the company is, first and foremost, part of our community. The levels to which employees have taken those values continues to grow every year, with no intention of slowing down.