As a regional civil engineering firm with close ties to our project locations, community involvement is important to Lawson-Fisher, which is why staff have formed a giveback group called the Volunteer and Community Outreach Committee to shepherd such activities.

For the 2024-25 holiday season, LFA “adopted” two clients from REAL Services for their Elves for Elders program. REAL Services provides service to promote nutrition, self-sufficiency, education, and protection for 30,000 people in northern Indiana each year.

“It’s great to work for a company that lets us integrate a little community outreach into our workday,” said Administrative Assistant Melissa Frankiewicz. “It was nice to see my coworkers contribute to this project and make a few people’s Christmases a little brighter.”

LFA President Paul Hummel said, “LFA hopes to foster a greater sense of community within our workspace by providing a variety of opportunities to volunteer and give to causes our employees and their families are passionate about.”

Frankiewicz  said, “This was the first time I had heard about this program, which made me realize how often our senior community is forgotten. In a way it feels a bit like ‘giving back’ by providing a little extra holiday cheer to members of a generation who provided so many happy holidays to us.”

According to the organization, “Without REAL Services, more than 5,000 older adults each year would have to move to nursing homes to receive the care they need, and 2,000 people in the community would not have access to food each day. The staff and volunteers at REAL Services work tirelessly to help people of all ages, races, nationalities, and income levels to maintain their integrity and independence, and to achieve satisfaction in their lives. To do this, REAL Services runs more than 20 distinct programs.” 

For the Elves for Elders program this year, staff donated specific items from two REAL Services clients’ holiday wish lists, starting around Thanksgiving. This week, LFA hosted a “wrap party,” shown here.

Senior Engineering Technician Ginger Hoover said, “I try to give back in my personal life, but this is a great perk of working at LFA; the ability to help out as a collective team. I hope our recipients enjoy their holidays a little more this year.”