Resin distribution firm Osterman & Co. marked the anniversary of Sept. 11 with the company's second annual Osterman Community Day.
Osterman employees on that day donated their time to charities in Connecticut, Texas, Atlanta, Chicago, Mexico and Costa Rica. Those activities included projects for Habitat for Humanity, Feed the Children, an orphanage in Mexico and an infant food pantry in Costa Rica.
Dave Dever, Osterman's executive vice president of sales, marketing and global operations, said in a news release that the event is held on Sept. 11 "in honor of the lives, lost, and the fearless first responders of the September 11th terrorist attacks."
In Cheshire, Conn., where Osterman is based, employees volunteered at Acts4 Ministries, a charity that supports the needs of families and individuals through the collection and distribution of furniture, clothing and housewares. Connecticut employees sorted clothes, delivered furniture and organized donated items at the warehouse.
Osterman employees in Houston volunteered at Current Cupboard, a charitable food organization at the Current Christian Church that distributes food to 140 households each month. Each Osterman team member who participated donated $100, which was matched by Osterman, generating $1,200 to help fill up the dry goods pantry.
In Atlanta, Osterman employees came together to build a house with Habitat for Humanity. South regional sales director Craig Connor said that building the home "was an amazing experience to come together as a team and build the house along with the future homeowner … that we were a part of building her new home."
The Osterman team in Chicago volunteered at Feed My Starving Children, where they partnered with volunteers, donors, food distribution partners, and meal recipients. The organization's mission is "to reach everyone until all are fed."
In Mexico City, Osterman employees volunteered at an orphanage during the day where they spent the morning with 20 girls and three boys between ages 7-14 years. They had lunch together and delivered school and personal products to the community.
Osterman employees in San José, Costa Rica, celebrated Children's Day on September 9. The group filled 100 bags with candies and cookies for a party that Fundacion Genesis, a children's food pantry, had organized.
"At Osterman, one of our fundamental business principles is 'to join with and encourage our colleagues, throughout the company to give back to the communities where we work and live,'" Dever said in the release. "Helping people is a fundamental value that is embedded across the organization and is inherent in the Osterman family."
Dever also said that Osterman employees "take a lot of pride in giving back to our communities where we work and live and look forward to our ongoing contribution to various charitable work."
In addition to Community Day, Osterman employees are encouraged throughout the year to participate in the Osterman Community Foundation. The OCF provides financial relief to families and individuals in a time of need, such as job loss, illness, homelessness, and other situations. They pay basic needs: rent, utilities, car repairs, clothing and food.
Company officials said that the goal of OCF is to get people on their feet again during times of hardship. They added that people turn to OCF "when they have exhausted all other sources and have nowhere to go." OCF has saved many people from eviction and homelessness, officials said.
To date, OCF has given away more than $1 million to 650 families and individuals. Most funding comes from donations and fundraising efforts. Every fall, Osterman hosts a golf tournament and every spring the firm hosts a Caring Cocktails party. This year's 15th Annual OCF Golf Classic will take place on September 25.
Osterman distributes more than 1 billion pounds of resin and compounds each year from 19 suppliers and from its own brand of generic prime resins.
