Literally and figuratively the work of OCA Local Chapters makes nonprofit organizations more accessible to the communities they serve. This was proven again in 2024 as association members gave of their time, tools and skills through community service projects.
The community service efforts of OCA members came in the form of performing physical hands-on projects, holding fundraising events and giving monetary donations.
In 2024, OCA Local Chapters utilized the professional skills of their members to improve access at non-profit centers throughout the state by rehabilitating and constructing walkways, roadways, parking areas and more.
“It’s important for us to give back to the communities we live and work in,” said OCA Eastern Ohio Chapter’s Megan Temple, who serves as an estimator for Shelly & Sands Inc. “Our members have a unique skillset and resources that make projects like these possible and seamless. Positive publicity for our industry and members is an added benefit to being able to help fulfill a need in our communities.”
Working with Camp Christopher organizers, the OCA Akron/Canton Chapter constructed a service road for the Akron-based camp. Operated through the Diocese of Cleveland’s Catholic Charities, Camp Christopher provides programs for traditional and special-need campers, families, groups and schools.
Helping celebrate Camp Christopher’s centennial anniversary, OCA members constructed a 400-foot-long service road to improve access within the camp. “The new service road improves safety by allowing separation of service traffic from the previous shared-use path,” said The Ruhlin Co. Transportation Project Executive Mark Myers.
He said coordinating when the project would take place was the project’s biggest challenge. “The busy camp schedule combined with members’ availability only allowed a narrow window of opportunity to perform the project,” he said of the week-long project.
Akron/Canton Chapter members helping construct the service road were representatives of Admar Construction Equipment & Supply, Haines Geo Components, The Ruhlin Co., Shelly & Sands Inc. and The Shelly Co. “We could use contractor and associate member’s skills and resources to quickly complete the project without a large time commitment or distraction from our core businesses,” said Myers, who added that Camp Christopher has additional projects it would like OCA members to consider in the future.
Another hands-on project came in the form of a “revitalization” of a parking area of the Hilliard VFW Post by the Columbus Chapter.
Initial plans for re-grading and adding a top course of gravel to the VFW Post’s overflow parking were upgraded following a site review by OCA members. “… We proposed a new plan,” said Complete General Construction Co. Project Engineer Cody Bower. “We still regraded the lot, but instead made it asphalt to match the rest of the parking lot and added parking blocks and striping.” The chapter volunteers also provided grading and fresh gravel to the VFW Post’s access driveways.
Columbus Chapter members providing equipment, workers and materials were Complete General Construction, George J. Igel Co., Griffin Pavement Striping, Shelly & Sands Inc. and The Shelly Co.
Columbus Chapter members also participated in a park clean-up effort with the Columbus Parks & Recreation Department. A group of 12 members, representing Complete General Construction, Kokosing Construction Co. Inc., Shelly & Sands Inc. and The Shelly Co., spent a day picking up litter. “This was the first for the chapter, and we look to do something similar (in 2025),” Bower said.
After the work of OCA Eastern Ohio Chapter member companies, the (Belmont) Union Local School District community was “ready for some football” and other athletic events.
With several members being residents in the district, the Eastern Ohio Chapter worked with school leaders in making needed improvements on the roadways and parking facility at the high school’s Football Field/Athletic Complex.
According to Temple, the support of 13 companies made for the successful project, which included the expanded parking facility being re-graded and chip sealed. “We also improved drainage behind the grandstands and in front of the field house. This was all done at no cost to the school district,” Temple said.
Eastern Ohio Chapter member and area companies assisting in the project were Beaver Excavating Co., Belmont Mills, Dresden Landscaping LTD, Greer Industries Inc., Mid Atlantic Maintenance, National Lime & Stone Co., Ohio-West Virginia Excavating, Shelly & Sands Inc., The Shelly Co., S&S Terminal, Stocker Sand & Gravel Co., James White Construction and Youngblood Paving Inc.
The words of Lott Industries CEO Tim Menke speak of the value that OCA’s community service efforts hold to non-profit organizations everywhere. “What a blessing OCA has been to Lott Industries, our employers, our clients and our customers,” he said of Toledo Chapter members’ stewardship.
For the organization providing educational and vocational opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, the Toledo Chapter provided upgrades to Lott Industries‘ front parking area and sidewalks at the entrance and greenhouse.
Companies involved in the project were All Ohio Ready Mix – a subsidiary of The Shelly Co., Crestline Paving & Excavating Co. Inc., E.S. Wagner Co., Ebony Construction Co., Geddis Paving & Excavating Inc., The Gerken Companies, Green Earth Transportation Services LLC, Griffin Pavement Striping, Mosser Construction Inc., The Shelly Co. and Vernon Nagel Inc.
“Our place looks 100% better – and is safer – than it did a few months ago,” said Menke. “We can’t say enough thanks to all involved.”
OCA’s Southwest Ohio Chapter built on its relationship with the Mid-Western Children’s Home by replacing driveways at two residences at the Warren County non-profit. It was the second year the chapter has worked with the Mid-Western Children’s Home, a group home serving children up to 18 years of age.
Barrett Paving Materials Inc. Project Manager Dennis Brunton said the chapter selected the Mid-Western Children’s Home as a continuation of the service it provided the organization in 2023. “The Southwest Chapter always tries to perform one service project per year,” said Brunton, who added, “We look for a project that can involve the greatest number of members donating their time and energies to organizations that could use a little help.”
The Southwest Ohio Chapter members participating in the driveway projects were A&A Safety Inc., Barrett Paving Materials, Encore Precast LLC, The Great Lakes Construction Co., John R. Jurgensen Co., K.T. Holden Construction and Prus Construction Co.
“We are fortunate as a group, and it’s best to give back…,” said Brunton of the chapter’s community service.
The sixth OCA local chapter to provide hands-on community service in 2024 was the Youngstown Chapter’s rehabilitation and construction of a recreational court for Leonard Kirtz School (LKS). “We did a revamp of an existing slab to make an outdoor basketball/pickleball court,” said Shelly & Sands Inc. Project Engineer Brandon Hamrick.
LKS is operated by the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities and provides language, physical and occupational therapy for students ages 5-22.
Along with helping to create the new courts, which included installation of an ADA-compliant ramp, the Youngstown Chapter assisted other organizations in their community service with LKS. “We worked with a local chapter of the Masons, which was helping install handicap-accessible playground equipment,” Hamrick said.
While the weather and the construction season determined when OCA members could donate their time, materials and energy for hands-on projects, OCA local chapters benefited communities throughout the year in other ways.
Becoming not only a central Ohio tradition but also one for the Columbus Chapter is its annual Military Benefit. The 2024 event was again held at Marysville’s Benny’s Pizza & Pub and raised more than $20,000 through sponsorships and raffles for area veterans’ organizations. Along with the support of more than 20 OCA member companies, the Columbus Chapter organized the event and featured music by Shelly & Sands Inc.’s Project Manager Pete Kinzer and his band “Down12.”
OCA member companies sponsoring the event included Anderson Concrete Corp., Bobcat Enterprises, Buckeye Ready-Mix LLC, Complete General Construction Co., Danbert Inc., DHDC Engineering Consulting Services Inc., Follow the River Environmental, George J. Igel & Co. Inc., Hydro-Technologies Inc., Kokosing Construction Co. Inc., Mt. Carmel Stabilization Group, Prestress Services Industries LLC, Rea & Associates Inc., Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers/Iron Planet, Rudd Equipment Co., Shelly & Sands Inc., Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Surety Bonds Inc., Taylor Tire Co. Ltd., The Ruhlin Co., The Shelly Co. and Westfield Group.
In the seven years of the Columbus Chapter’s Military Benefit more than $60,000 has been raised, and in 2024 proceeds benefited Amvets Post #28 (Marysville), Disabled American Veterans Chapter #55 (Marysville and Union County), Union County Military Support Group/Union, County Freedom Center, Marysville National Guard/Ohio Army National Guard Family Readiness Group and VFW Posts #3320 (Marysville) and #4931 (Hilliard).
In addition to organizing benefits to assist various organizations, OCA members supported their local chapters’ efforts in donating everything from clothes, toys, time and money, to blood.
The Eastern Ohio Chapter held an array of donating activities in 2024. Nearly 30 donors participated in the chapter’s third annual Red Cross blood drive; collected monetary donations and gave of their time to participate for the fourth year in the Harrison County School District’s Blessings in a Backpack Program, which provided weekend meals for 250 students; and donated time and monetary donations for Gifted Gaits, a Guernsey County non-profit farm that provides equine-assisted therapy for those with behavioral, emotional and physical disabilities.
In addition to Akron/Canton also donating to a local food pantry, the Columbus and Youngstown chapters participated in toy and clothing drives and the Cleveland Chapter raised money for an area crisis center.
Along with joining other OCA local chapters in collecting money through 50-50 raffles and various fundraisers throughout the year to fund and award annual scholarships to area students, the Cleveland Chapter raised money to support The Providence House. The Providence House provides crisis nursery, child-abuse prevention and family preservation services.
The OCA Columbus Chapter coordinated its holiday party with the season of giving by collecting toys and clothes and partnering with the Columbus Parks & Recreation Department’s adopt a center program. The chapter’s efforts resulted in the collection of two truckloads of items distributed in the community.
Youngstown Chapter members collected toys for the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots of Mahoning Valley program, which collects and distributes more than 15,250 toys in Mahoning and Trumbull counties each year.
“As we always say,” said Hamrick of his fellow OCA members, “be an active member. It’s always great to be able to give back.”