For over a decade, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) employees have volunteered their time to give back to their community as part of the annual Project Serve campaign, benefitting the United Way.

Over 75 employees, dedicated a day to working on projects across six different sites in the greater Augusta area to help ensure that the facility needs of local charitable organizations were met. Projects included landscaping, fence repairing, painting, floor repairing, playground construction, basic repairs and more.

SRNS employees Jason Whitson and Adam Balph worked together to complete a variety of projects to help meet the needs of charitable organizations across the greater Augusta area.

“The day started off with a kickoff breakfast at the First Baptist Church of Augusta celebrating the start of the United Way of the CSRA 2023 campaign as well as Project Serve,” said Kevin Cross SRNS Project Serve Lead. “After the breakfast, we dispersed to six different locations across the Augusta area completing projects at Heritage Academy, Westabou Montessori School, Family Counseling Center of the CSRA, Columbia County Community Connections and Camp Tanglewood.”

Heritage Academy, an independent school offering a quality Christ-centered education to children of diverse economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds, needed repairs and improvements. A team of SRNS employees engaged in an array of projects to help meet the facility needs of the school.

Mike Violette, SRNS Project Serve team member, has been volunteering with Project Serve for two years now. This year was his first year taking on a team lead role at the Heritage Academy project site.

“This is a wonderful school whose mission is to provide enriched educational opportunities to all children regardless of their family income. Anything we can do to assist in meeting the needs of the school for the staff and students is very valuable,” said Violette.

SRNS Project Serve volunteers John Howell, Samantha Bryant, Kvonne Bryant and April Masterson cleaned up an overgrown flower bed at Heritage Academy in Augusta, Georgia.

With a surge in temperature over the past few weeks, Violette mentioned that each team took extra precaution to keep the volunteers safe while working in the heat. Coolers of water and Gatorade were provided as well as cool refuge areas where team members could take a break and cool down.

“We covered heat stress at our pre-job briefing and the importance of taking breaks throughout the day. I asked that everyone team up with a heat stress buddy to monitor and remind each other to take a break and cool down,” said Violette.

SRNS Project Serve lead Mike Violette conducts a pre-job briefing with this team members to discuss heat stress and work safety. 

Cross has been volunteering with Project Serve since 2015 and every year he is humbled by the amount of support and selflessness from SRNS employees.

“SRNS employees are always willing to lend a helping hand,” said Cross. “I can’t say enough about the team and their eagerness to spend their normal day off work giving back to the community.”

Cross went on to emphasize the importance of the community’s involvement in making sure the needs of these charitable organizations are met.

“These agencies have facilities and other necessities that need maintaining in order for them to successfully achieve their charitable missions,” said Cross. “This event provides a great opportunity for our employees to show their support for these life changing missions.”

SRNS employees continue to embrace the tradition of giving which has made a huge impact to the local community.

“It’s very important that SRNS is a good neighbor. We have a responsibility for doing critical things for this nation’s nuclear security, and it’s a meaningful way to say thanks to our surrounding communities for their continued support,” said Cross.

Project Serve assists United Way agencies that provide support to 31 different programs, at 19 partner agencies throughout the CSRA.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor-led company with Huntington Ingalls Industries, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site located near Aiken, South Carolina.