LaBella in the Community (LINC) – Winter 2024 Roundup
LaBella in the Community (LINC) is our employee-led, grassroots, committee-based service program that organizes volunteer opportunities to build and advance community partnerships. LINC was very busy this winter, and we’d like to take a moment to highlight some of the activities the group planned and coordinated throughout the local communities where we live and work.
More details about the organizations that LINC partnered with can be found by clicking the links below. To learn more about what LINC has been up to, keep scrolling!
Helping Hands—Decorated Christmas Trees
Organization: J+J Flooring LLC—benefiting the Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital
Event Date: December 3, 2024
Event Location: Charlotte, NC
Event Description: This year, LaBella’s Charlotte office participated in the Helping Hands program, benefiting the Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital. Our team, encompassing Bryan Fike, Christine Fink, Tanya Mcgee, Cade Larson, Adrien Williams, Janel Daley, Tumi Mabaso, Sarah Peterson, Claire Noorhasan, and Annzie Barfield, decorated a two-foot Christmas tree for the event.
The Helping Hands initiative, created by J+J Flooring in 2016, aims to brighten the lives of children and families spending the holiday season in a pediatric hospital. More than just decorating trees, Helping Hands brings together design and manufacturing professionals in a unique way, allowing them to give back to their communities during a particularly difficult time for young patients on their path to healing.
The decorated trees are displayed at the hospital, where children and families can select their favorite to take back to their rooms. This heartwarming event brings joy not only to the children and their families but also to the nurses, doctors, and hospital staff.
Adopt-a-Family Program
Organization: The Chamber Foundation
Event Date: December 5, 2024
Event Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Event Description: This past holiday season, LaBella’s Poughkeepsie office embraced the spirit by participating in the Adopt-a-Family program organized by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce‘s Chamber Foundation. The initiative connects local businesses and organizations with families in need, helping brighten the holidays for those facing challenges.
Our Poughkeepsie office adopted a family of four, including two adults, a teen, and a toddler. More than 20 LaBellans contributed by purchasing gifts, donating funds, and attending a festive gift-wrapping party. Nearly every item on the family’s wish list was fulfilled, including essential household items and a laptop. Holiday treats, beverages, music, and a virtual fireplace added to the cheerful atmosphere.
LaBella’s participation was part of a broader effort that brought together 30 local businesses to support 33 families, resulting in over 600 donated gifts. The joy and gratitude were reflected in the smiles of participants and a heartfelt thank-you card from the Foundation.
Share the Joy
Organization: Catholic Charities Family and Community Services
Event Date: December 6, 2024
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: For the 2024 holiday season, LaBella’s Rochester employees participated in the Share the Joy gift drive, a program organized by the Catholic Charities Family and Community Services, which provides essential support to families in need during the holidays. This year, the Share the Joy program helped make the holiday season brighter for over 2,400 individuals, including 35 who received holiday gifts generously donated by LaBellans!
Hope for the Holidays
Organization: Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services
Event Date: December 12, 2024
Event Location: Cleveland, OH
Event Description: Hope for the Holidays is an annual gift program organized by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to ensure that each of the more than 2,000 children and teens in its foster care receives a present to unwrap during the holiday season.
Adopt-a-Family Program
Organization: Albany County Department for Children, Youth and Families
Event Date: December 18, 2024
Event Location: Albany, NY
Event Description: During this past holiday season, LaBella’s Albany office participated in the Albany County Department for Children, Youth and Families’ Adopt-a-Family program, an initiative that connects local businesses and organizations with families in need, spreading holiday cheer and supporting those facing challenges.
Our Albany office adopted two families this past holiday season: one led by a single mother with three teenage daughters and another led by a single mother with two teenage sons. LaBellans contributed by donating gifts, funds, and their time, with LINC representatives coordinating a festive gift-wrapping party.
LaBella’s efforts were part of a larger initiative that served 440 families, including 1,126 children. A total of 312 donors adopted 366 families, contributing over $22,000 in funds and additional gift donations. Families who couldn’t be matched with specific donors also received new, unwrapped gifts and gift cards from local retailers.
Volunteering With Rebuilding Together Saratoga County
Organization: Rebuilding Together Saratoga County
Event Date: December 2024
Event Location: Ballston Spa, NY
Event Description: Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, an affiliate of the national Rebuilding Together organization, was founded in 2003 to provide home repair services to Saratoga County homeowners in need. The organization coordinates volunteers, contractors, tools, and supplies to make necessary repairs at no cost to homeowners, focusing on older adults, individuals living with disabilities, active and retired members of the armed services, and families with children.
In December 2024, a group of LaBellans—Elliery Carter, Nathaniel Shaw, Fil Fina III, Mark Bagdon, Terrence Bohn, and Liu Yucheng—volunteered with Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. They dedicated their time to installing a radon system in the home of a local resident.
Campaign Warmth—Annual Mitten Tree
Organization: Saratoga Springs Heritage Visitor Center
Event Date: January 2025
Event Location: Ballston Spa, NY
Event Description: LaBella’s Ballston Spa office participated in the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center’s Annual Mitten Tree Program, which collects warm winter gear (e.g., hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, socks), a necessity for those in need during the biting winter cold of Saratoga County. All donations benefit the following organizations: CAPTAIN Community Human Services, Franklin Community Center, and Shelters of Saratoga.
Rochester Polar Plunge
Organization: Special Olympics New York
Event Date: February 2, 2025
Event Location: Ontario Beach Park, Rochester, NY
Event Description: Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Rochester Polar Plunge took place on February 2nd at Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, New York. With below-freezing temperatures and water at just 37 degrees Fahrenheit, participants—including LaBella’s own Tony Sanganetti and Mike Simon—braved the frigid waters of Lake Ontario to raise funds for the Special Olympics.
The event, which raised over $300,000 this year, supports Special Olympics New York, which provides year-round training and competitions for over 66,000 athletes and unified partners with developmental disabilities across more than 23 Olympic-style sports. In the greater Rochester area, over 3,500 athletes participate in more than 40 local Special Olympics competitions annually.
Valentine’s Day Cards for Golisano Children’s Hospital
Organization: Golisano Children’s Hospital
Event Date: February 5-6, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: For the third consecutive year, a group of LaBellans from our Rochester offices, alongside over 40 Avangrid employees, volunteered their time and crafting skills to create homemade Valentine’s Day cards for children at the Golisano Children’s Hospital. Here are a few examples of the amazing handmade cards made by our talented staff!
STEM Panel and Networking Event
Organization: Dutchess Community College
Event Date: February 11, 2025
Event Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Event Description: LaBella’s Senior Civil Engineer, Nick Vamvas, participated in a STEM panel and networking event hosted by Dutchess Community College as part of its Black History Month programming. The event featured accomplished STEM professionals who shared their academic and career experiences in fields such as engineering, health and science, aviation, technology, and cybersecurity. Representatives from Dutchess Community College, LaBella Associates, Orange and Rockland Utilities, and Nuvance Health spoke to students and guests, followed by a networking event.
Engineers Week 2025 Highlights
Organization: Rochester Museum & Science Center, Capital District E-Week, and Buffalo Museum of Science
Event Date: February 16-22, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, Albany, and Buffalo, NY
Event Description: During Engineers Week 2025, LaBella team members across New York shared their expertise to inspire and educate the next generation of engineers. Through hands-on activities and networking opportunities, we engaged with aspiring engineers of all ages at the following events: the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s Curiosity Camp: Architects and Engineers program, the Capital District E-Week and Model Bridge Competition, and the Buffalo Museum of Science’s National Engineers Week event.
More information can be found here
Scouting for Food
Organization: Boy Scouts of America
Event Date: February 17-28, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: LaBellans at the Rochester HQ office collected nonperishable food items for five local food banks as part of the Boy Scouts of America’s annual Scouting for Food program. The donations were picked up, sorted, and delivered by local cub scouts to benefit the Brighton Food Cupboard, the Irondequoit Community Cupboard, the Loop Ministries Food Pantry Program, the Asbury First Grocery Bag Ministry, and The Community Food Cupboard of Rochester. Overall, this year’s Scouting for Food event collected more than 70 pounds of nonperishable food!
SMPS NEO Rock N’ Bowl
Organization: Society for Marketing Professional Services Northeast Ohio
Event Date: February 21, 2025
Event Location: Cleveland, OH
Event Description: LaBella sponsored two teams for this long-running bowling competition and fundraiser benefiting the ACE Mentor Program of Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Attendees included Deana Sritalapat, Ben Barry, Pauline Drake, Tuvia Millstein, Tareq Masri, Todd Slaboden, and Ed Odziemski from our Cleveland office.
Proceeds from the event supported a scholarship fund for the ACE Mentor Program, while participants were also encouraged to donate non-perishable food items for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. This year’s event brought together 123 participants across 24 teams, raising approximately $3,800 for ACE and collecting 630 pounds of food for the Food Bank.
JBX Volleyball Tournament
Organization: Rochester Junior Builders Exchange
Event Date: February 22, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: In February 2025, Junior Builders Exchange hosted its 13th annual JBX Volleyball Tournament at Hot Shots in Rochester, NY, bringing together engineering and construction companies from across the region. Proceeds from this year’s event benefited the Veterans Outreach Center, which provides a variety of support services designed for veterans and their families.
Over 180 individuals competed in this year’s JBX Volleyball Tournament, including three teams from LaBella—one of which made it to the championship round!
- Team 1: Bob Steehler, Mike Hall, Joe Wollke, Dan Noll, Jon Spurr, and Jason Wilkie
- Team 2: Dave Wong, Laura Denlinger, DeShawn Henry, Seth Warren, Ty Harter, and Tony Sanganetti
- Team 3: Eleni Wechsler, Ben Schmidt, Dan Brocht, Shelby Vakiener, Lori Jimenez, Anthony DiLorenzo, and Maria Nieto
Strike Out Homelessness Bowl-a-Thon
Organization: Family Promise of Greater Rochester
Event Date: March 9, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: Team LaBella participated in the Strike Out Homelessness Bowl-a-Thon, a fundraiser supporting the Family Promise of Greater Rochester. This organization helps families at risk of or experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through person-centered, holistic services. LaBella’s sponsorship will provide two weeks of shelter for a local family. The team—Jeff Davis, Brian Sullivan, Mike Simon, Carla Valdez-Jemio, Andrew Guerrein, and Ross Aronson—enjoyed two games of bowling, food, and drinks while contributing to this meaningful cause.
