image: Sandia National Laboratories employee Mardelle Morrow, right, dropped off six turkeys at Sandia this year, with the help of volunteer Chris Hulliger. Morrow has donated turkeys for the last 17 years. Sandia employees have donated at least 5,000 turkeys over the past 20 years to be shared by local food banks with those in need in Albuquerque and surrounding communities. view more
Credit: Photo by Randy Montoya, Sandia National Laboratories
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Sandia National Laboratories employees came together in a big way in 2020, contributing $4.8 million to the annual Sandia Gives campaign, which benefits United Way of Central New Mexico, United Way of the Bay Area and other nonprofits, increasing donations by $324,000 over 2019.
A booster from National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, the contractor that manages the labs, added $1.4 million to the 2020 giving effort, focusing its support on family stability and educational success in local communities.
"The challenges of 2020 brought Sandia's generosity to a new level," said Labs Director James Peery. "I could not be prouder of our workforce. Sandia employees and retirees have supported vital needs in our communities for more than 60 years."
Sandia's New Mexico site also supported its annual Holiday Gift Drive, raising more than $33,000 to ensure that every child in Bernalillo County foster care received a gift during the holidays, while NTESS contributed $12,500 to NM Kids Matter to support their Court Appointed Special Advocates program.
Labs employees in New Mexico and California also contributed to the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Program. The Albuquerque drive raised about $9,500, roughly half the total monetary donations from all sources in previous years. The California campaign garnered 240 toys.
COVID-19 created unprecedented needs
In addition to their regular giving efforts, Sandia employees and National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia responded to calls for monetary and volunteer help to meet needs generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NTESS was the first corporate partner to donate $20,000 to the United Way of Central New Mexico's Emergency Response Fund.
Sandia employees in New Mexico also were challenged to raise $15,000 in 15 days to support the drastic increase in food insecurity in the early months of the pandemic. Employees donated more than $75,000, with an additional $25,000 from NTESS.
In late April, a grassroots effort initiated by Sandia's workforce called Need is Now generated more than $225,000, plus a $25,000 match from NTESS. These funds went to hard-hit tribal communities in New Mexico.
Employees contributed more than $20,000 to the California site's Together Apart campaign, which supported local efforts to provide critical resources to the Bay Area. NTESS contributed another $10,000, for a total donation of $30,000 to the United Way of the Bay Area and the United Way of San Joaquin. And, Sandia volunteers and their families bagged 24 pounds of produce and more than 14,000 pounds of pasta. NTESS provided $15,000 to support the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
"Sandia employees are generous with their money and their time," said Community Involvement Manager Amy Tapia. "This year, they stepped up at a time when the need was greatest."
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Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.