The influence of one can help feed a community

Enabling a spirit of giving in the workplace fosters a culture of caring 

At Pepper Ohio, our spirit of giving to those in need of food began ten years ago in a small office in Dublin, after two employees heard on the radio there was a food shortage at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. With limited resources and a small list of industry partners, the Ohio team placed boxes on each floor in the office building they worked. Over 3,600 meals were donated to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank that year. 

As our partnerships within the industry grew, so did our passion to do more for those struggling to meet basic food and nutritional needs.  By creating programs like "$1 Jean Day," we have found new ways to increase our donations each year. 

This past year, we did something a little different.  We divided our staff into four teams and created a competition. Teams reached out to industry partners and asked them to participate by simply placing a donation box at their office.  The team who collected the most amount of food (in pounds) would have bragging rights as the winner. With the internal competition, Pepper was able to collect enough non-perishable food, toiletries and monetary donations equivalent to over 89,000 meals – bringing our 11-year total donation to over 228,000 meals!

Helping those with food insecurity in Ohio doesn’t stop with our Dublin office. In Cincinnati, Sharon Jackson, our senior project coordinator was drawn to make a difference when she heard her place of worship, the Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church, purchased a small church across the street. The building was going to be used as a food pantry and clothing ministry. After about a month, she checked in to see how things were going, and sadly, the food pantry's shelves were almost bare.

"My heart fell," recalled Sharon. "I wondered how the pantry was going to be successful in feeding the community without any assistance. Then I thought, I can utilize my resources at Pepper and make an impact."

Along with the help of our industry partners, Pepper’s Cincinnati office has been making donations to the food pantry for eight years now, and the food drive has expanded each year. In 2017, we proudly donated more than 8,000 items.

"It is such a joyful feeling when we make our delivery. The church appreciates it," said Sharon.

Giving back to the communities in which we live and work is a fundamental aspect of our culture at Pepper Construction.  We are committed to bettering our local and surrounding communities through empowering each member of our team to make a difference.

It is this heartfelt connection between our employees and their communities that makes all the difference here at Pepper.  We are proud to say that together with the generous help of our industry partners and employees, we are one step closer to helping end hunger in our communities.