Alcoa employees volunteer for downtown Muskegon beautification projects

By Eric Gaertner | Muskegon Chronicle

MUSKEGON — Nearly 100 members of the leadership team from Alcoa’s Whitehall operations will be working on a variety of beautification and improvement projects in downtown Muskegon Friday.

As part of Alcoa’s Month of Service throughout communities in its worldwide company, more than 450 Howmet employees are completing 26 projects in Whitehall and Muskegon throughout October. Friday’s work, which begins at 8 a.m., is the largest local project for the month of community service.

“We’ve been a significant supporter of the redevelopment of the downtown,” said Amy Heisser, director of human resources at Howmet. “We want to continue to build on that.”

Alcoa Howmet is the largest industrial employer in Muskegon County. Alcoa conducted a week of service from 2003 to 2005 and increased it to a month of service in 2006 across its locations worldwide.

The projects scheduled for Friday include:

• Planting three trees in Alcoa Square at Western Avenue and Third Street;

• Installing two bike racks along Western Avenue;

• Installing downtown redevelopment signs;

• Cleaning and spreading of stones for landscaping in an area between the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce building and Hegg’s Furniture;

• Painting the auditorium floor at the Muskegon Museum of Art;

• General cleanup at various locations downtown.

The Alcoa Foundation also will be awarding $15,000 in action grants to the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, Muskegon Area Chamber foundation, Muskegon Main Street, Muskegon Museum of Art and the Muskegon Lions Club.

Heisser said the Month of Service “energizes our people in the community. It’s rewarding and fun.”

As part of the area’s Month of Service, an educational trail system is being installed along a section of the White Lake Pathway in Whitehall.

Alcoa worldwide officials reported that last year’s Month of Service featured more than 22,000 employees participating in 784 events.

“I believe together we can achieve extraordinary things by identifying and tackling unmet needs in our communities,” said Ray Mitchell, president of Alcoa Power and Propulsion. “It’s a great feeling to be part of a company whose corporate culture encourages giving back to those less fortunate.”