Spring fever for the Shell Oil Company’s Legal/IP Services Community Service Team means one thing: it’s time for a large-scale project. The team knows that their colleagues in Legal/IP look forward to the opportunity to volunteer and participate in community service projects, and this spring was no different.

 

Picking a Project

Picking a project is never an easy task for members of the Community Service Team.  The small team is charged with identifying and recommending a project and a site that meets the following criteria:  1) it can accommodate a large Project Team made up of their Legal/IP colleagues (120+ volunteers); 2) it has to be able to be completed in one day (however a significant amount of weekend pre-work is often needed by a small sub-team of very handy and skilled Do-it-Yourselfers [DIY’s]); 3) it should provide a maximum community benefit; and  4) it needs to accommodate the various skill levels of the Legal/IP department.  Although the department includes many talented DIY’s who can handle a backhoe or chainsaw or build a small structure in a day, and an exceptional group of knowledgeable gardeners, there are just as many who admit that a paintbrush or leaf rake is as much as should be entrusted to them.  Once a project is selected, volunteers are solicited and a Project Team is assembled.  Those with the best DIY skills are assigned a leading role and a small team of volunteers to handle the different projects on the site.  Volunteers are matched with projects suited to their abilities and skills; then the Project Team ensures the project is done right and done safely. 

 

Project Site: The Center

This year’s project selection was The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation (The Center), which also is the beneficiary of proceeds from the HBA’s annual John J. Eikenburg Law Week Fun Run.  It is located at West Dallas and Allen Parkway, sitting in the shadow of downtown.  It is in a quiet space surrounded by deserted buildings, new construction and a large share of overgrown hedges.  The Center is a private, not-for-profit, United Way of Greater Houston Agency that provides opportunities that promote individual choice, personal growth and community involvement for more than 600 adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. The Center offers vocational programs, day habilitation, adult day care, residential care and many other amenities to their clients. For more than 60 years, The Center has served adults through educational, residential and work training programs.  The philosophy of The Center is that every person has value and worth, is entitled to the highest quality of life, and should be treated with dignity.  

In addition to meeting the basic requirements of a Shell project site, The Center also shared another common element with past projects: no funds for the many things that needed to be done. As in past projects, the Project Team provided the best alternative to money: sweat equity. 

 

Project Day

Project day was a perfect Houston spring day.  Sunny, but cool enough to provide a breeze to wick away the sweat and keep down the need for Gatorade.  The Project Team consisted of over 120 volunteers – just the right amount to get it all done.  After a safety briefing, project leaders outlined the tasks slated for completion during the day.  The Center had a long wish list.  Some projects were the result of damage caused by Hurricane Ike, such as rebuilding a large wooden gate.  Other items included a large gazebo with rickety and unstable handrails, chipping paint and a broken ceiling fan, all of which needed to be repaired and then repainted. 

One longstanding wish was the desire for a new counter and site-built Dutch door for an internal office that serves as a bank for residents. This was a difficult carpentry project that had been on The Center’s wish list for some time, and which previous volunteer groups had been unable to tackle. Additionally, there was painting, along with significant prep work, a sidewalk ramp to be poured, overgrown landscaping to be trimmed, and, of course, new flowerbeds to be planted.  For the Legal/IP Project Team every item on the wish list was manageable, but required organization and a steady output of work and effort to get it completed in the one allotted day.

 

An Obvious Difference

At the end of the day, it was clear that the Shell Legal/IP Project Team had left a positive mark, with the The Center’s campus looking fresh and well-maintained, a facelift that was noticeable to both its residents and staff.  Several residents of The Center returned from their jobs during the early evening and commented on how good everything looked.   

Al Acosta with United Way of Greater Houston was present during most of the day and watched as the improvements unfolded.  As he took a final tour of all the projects that were completed, he noted in surprise that the team had accomplished every task on The Center’s ambitious wish list, and done them all so well.  Acosta said he was impressed with the care and the quality of the work, as well as the Shell volunteers, and their willingness to help in the community.

 

Final punch

As the project day ended, Project Team leader Mike Mahoney’s day was not quite done.  Just like the pre-work, the project required a final punch list.  A small team of volunteers remained to complete the final details and pack the equipment and tools for departure. Additionally, a small team of recyclers separated the trash and recyclable materials to be taken to a recycle center.  No doubt the Shell team slept soundly that night, both from their physical labor and from the pleasure of a job well done. Still, even sore muscles could not diminish the enjoyment and enthusiasm of participating with colleagues on such a great project to help the community in such a big way.

Carolyn Benton Aiman is senior counsel with Shell Oil Company.