JAMES, La., August 24– Brown & Root Industrial Services is proud to support Life House as it positively impacts lives in our communities. A recent visit to the Life House headquarters in St. James Parish provided Brown & Root executives and leaders the opportunity to tour the facility and engage in discussion with Life House leaders regarding the company’s support of the nonprofit.
Life House, a nonprofit organization with transition housing facilities in Louisiana and Alabama, offers a new way of life for men and women seeking to overcome addition, homelessness, or recent incarceration. The organization aims to help men and women learn to “Live in Freedom Everyday” by rejecting passivity, accepting responsibility, leading courageously, and investing externally.
While Life House provides housing, licensed counseling, spiritual mentoring, and a host of other services to their “family members”, it was their job placement and job readiness program that opened the door to a partnership with Brown & Root.
“We were struggling with the staffing of a position that has been historically very difficult to fill,” said Katie Richardson, Brown & Root vice president of human resources. “The site manager, Don Martinez, had a connection to Richard Reed from Life House and through their discussions they realized there might be a mutually beneficial relationship to explore.”
Through Life House’s job placement program, Brown & Root began to employ “family members” from Life House while subsequently providing them with on-the-job training.
“Many people come here at 30 or 40 years old and don’t any job skills,” explained Jeffrey Robert, Life House chief operating officer. “Our staffing program and partnerships with companies like Brown & Root allow us to fund the services we offer, while providing our “family members” with skills that allow them to have a career for the first time.”
It was the first-hand experience with Life House “family members” that contributed to the inspiration behind the formation of the Brown & Root Foundation, a 501 (C)3 formed in 2020.
The non-profit aims to support local organizations in the communities where employees live and work, with a focus on providing better housing, health, diversity, and/or the improved welfare of children.
“It was our employees who have personally benefited from this program that recommended Life House to the Foundation,” said Donna Broussard, Brown & Root director of subcontracts and chairwoman of the Brown & Root Foundation. “Sowing back into someone and giving an opportunity to prove themselves is a touching cause.”
The Foundation allowed Brown & Root to expand its support of Life House by providing financial support towards their efforts to address the issues of incarceration, addiction, and homelessness that directly impact the communities where company employees live and work.
“As a community we can’t stick our heads in the sand and keep letting these issues negatively impact our communities,” Andy Dupuy, Brown and Root chief executive officer, noted during the tour. “Simply put, we must do something to help address these issues.”
During the tour of the 37-acre campus, those in attendance were able to see the Foundation’s donation at work in the construction of a new in-take facility for men entering the program and in the expansion of the craft training center. The craft training center will allow Life House “family members” to experience hands-on craft training for welding, scaffold building, electrical, and millwright.
While seeing donated funds at work was noteworthy, it was connecting with Life House “family members” that are currently employed by Brown & Root that resonated with Jonathan Batarseh, Brown & Root chief financial officer.
“What stuck out the most is that we are a small part of changing people’s lives. By combining our financial contribution with what Life House is already doing to support our staffing needs, we can make a positive impact in the community while making a positive impact in our business. It is truly a symbiotic relationship.” said Batarseh.
Brown & Root Industrial Services has been in the industry since the early 1900’s and built a legacy synonymous with excellence in providing full-service solutions for every project phase of industrial facilities across the globe. Brown & Root offers a full range of industrial services in industrial engineering, construction, maintenance, turnarounds, and specialty field services. Led by core leadership team with many years of valuable experience and a singular focus on customer service, we work with companies in the downstream, refining, petrochemical, chemical and manufacturing industries to execute projects, solve challenges and achieve their business goals. By continually asking ourselves, “What more can we do?” we develop practical effective solutions that often go beyond what our customers may have imagined.
The Brown & Root Foundation was established by Brown & Root Industrial Services, LLC in 2020. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide a more significant way for employees and the Company to contribute together to support local nonprofit organizations in the communities where employees live and work. Donations are focused on non-profit organizations that promote better housing, education, health, diversity, and/or the improved welfare of children.
Photos from the event can be found below:
