Giving Back

Creating Opportunities for African Youth

Giving back has been ingrained in U.S. Venture’s culture from the very beginning. But when Ray Schmidt, one of the company’s founders, made a donation to aid famine relief in Ethiopia in 1960, he didn’t realize it would lead to U.S. Venture’s partnership with Kenya Works | Victory Community Development Center (VICODEC) in Kenya.

The company first got involved with Kenya Works | VICODEC about 15 years ago when the U.S. Venture/Schmidt Family Foundation (USV/SFF) donated $250,000 to build a campus that educates, nourishes, and looks after children whose families live in the Ongata Rongai slums. Kenya Works, a non-profit also based in Appleton, WI, supports Kenya Works | VICODEC as well as a series of other educational and community-based programs.

Ray and his wife, Laverne, continued to donate to ongoing needs— most recently making a gift through Kenya Works to support a feeding program at a school in Kenya for students with disabilities.

“I have a soft spot for the kids in Kenya,” Ray said. “By donating to Kenya Works | VICODEC, we ensure that mothers and fathers have the resources to provide the basic essentials for their children. It truly is changing the world one child at a time.”

In addition to the USV/SFF donations, Ray also gives personally by sponsoring a number of children attending Kenya Works | VICODEC, which covers the costs of their tuition, meals, books, and medical care for the students and their family.

“…It truly is changing the world one child at a time.”
Ray Schmidt Late Founder, U.S. Venture

Relieving Hunger

Jose lives in Polk County, Florida’s largest county, which has a lot of unmet needs—especially since schools don’t receive a lot of funding in the state. One issue in particular hit close to home for Jose when he heard a grade school up the road from where he lives has a large number of students who don’t get enough to eat at home. Jose explained that his family experienced some hunger relief when he was a child after an accident that left his mother a widow with three young children.

“She looked out for us and tried hard to give us a normal life, but it was tough at times,” he shares. “As a result, we went to some of those places that gave out food. I didn’t know what was happening then, but I know it’s the little things like a little extra food that can make young ones happier.”

Hunger can negatively impact a child’s ability to concentrate and learn, so when Jose learned the local Kiwanis Club supports the school by giving students in need a backpack of food to take home with them on the weekends, he decided to get involved. He is now a Kiwanis Club committee member and volunteers throughout the year for the organization, which also stocks a small food pantry inside the school and hosts a holiday meal every November for kids and their families. Jose takes advantage of U.S. Venture’s volunteer paid time off, gives financially, and logs his volunteer hours so at the end of the year he can give a little extra to the organizations he cares about.

“There’s a lot of need out there. And it’s not always about giving money. Your time is so valuable! Follow your passion and you can make a huge difference.”
Jose Mata Regional Operations Manager, U.S. AutoForce, Orlando, FL

Garage for Good

When Lori heard two domestic violence agencies in her community wanted to find a better way to support victims of abuse, she felt compelled to help. The idea was to create a “garage for good” called JumpStart, an auto repair shop designed with female customers in mind. Profits from every appointment at the garage are used to fund auto repairs for domestic violence survivors.

“Transportation is a huge barrier for women leaving a violent relationship, and JumpStart is helping abuse survivors stay on the road to self-sufficiency by funding their car repairs,” she says. “I’ve always been drawn to causes that support women and children, but JumpStart is innovative—not just as an element of the two nonprofits, but now as a business in the community.”

With industry ties to U.S. AutoForce and U.S. Lubricants, plus U.S. Venture’s commitment to being a business leader in the crusade to end poverty in Northeast Wisconsin, Lori was particularly drawn to JumpStart’s business model and its social, self-sustaining mission. The shop has also made it a priority to hire and develop females in the repair business. Research shows fewer than 10% of all auto technicians are women, so JumpStart is influencing change by introducing more women to these well-paying jobs. Lori volunteers her time to serve on JumpStart’s board of directors and also gives money to the cause.

“People think of volunteering as something they’re going to do for someone else, but they may underestimate the part about what it does for you. It’s energizing to connect with different people in the community and solve problems together. Volunteering isn’t all give—it’s also a great way to learn new things about yourself.”
Lori Hoersch U.S. Venture, Chief People Officer, Appleton, WI

Sweet Spot for Giving

Every April, a sweet celebration takes place downtown Chicago for three days. Known as “Jelly Belly Candy Days,” the event raises money for Misericordia, a home for children and adults with developmental disabilities, by collecting donations on street corners. On one of those corners you’ll find Brian and his family.

Brian has been volunteering with Misericordia since 1991 after learning that a daughter of a family friend lives at the home and benefits from the work that they do. The joy of giving back has been passed down to his children.

“I wanted to teach my kids to help others whenever they can, because you never know when our family might be on the receiving end of help,” Brian says.

While Brian uses his volunteer paid time off (VPTO) and logs time for matching donations with U.S. Venture to support Misericordia year after year, his dedication extends past his day of VPTO.

“U.S. Venture values giving back so much that they give us a day off, with pay, to volunteer. It’s great how we’re allowed to step away from work for a day and give back to the community.”
Brian Ferrell Operations Manager, U.S. AutoForce, Madison, WI

Filling Bellies

Maria and her five grandchildren celebrate Thanksgiving a day early by handing out bagged lunches to those experiencing homelessness in downtown Miami. Her grandchildren come over first to assemble sandwiches and decorate lunch bags before heading downtown to give them away. The tradition started six years ago after Maria was shopping with the youngsters for the family’s Thanksgiving meal and saw two individuals outside the store who looked like they needed a meal.

“My grandkids felt an overwhelming need in their hearts to help someone who had no home, so we made a promise we’d do this every year,” Maria says. “It makes them feel special. It reminds those who receive a meal that they matter. My biggest pleasure in this is knowing I’m leaving my grandkids with a gift that is to do God’s work and love one another.”

Maria uses her volunteer paid time off (VPTO) and logs the costs of her project for matching funds to donate back into her community. The giving continues at Christmas when she also purchases toys for the local holiday gift drive and again in August for school supplies to help students in her community. She appreciates how much the company invests in its team members to encourage community involvement.

“I’ve never had an employer that would give their team members a paid day off to volunteer. That really makes U.S. Venture unique. It shows that they value their communities.”
Maria Lopez Administrative Assistant, U.S. AutoForce, Miami, FL

Layups and Learning

When Bob isn’t working at U.S. Oil, he’s shooting hoops, making layups, and running fast breaks. He loves spending his free time playing basketball at the local YMCA about three times a week and coaching his 10-year-old son’s youth league on the weekends. His oldest son, who is now 36, also grew up playing the sport, just as Bob did.

“I truly believe in the YMCA,” Bob says. “I have seen its impact. It’s a great institution that provides our youth with opportunities they might not have otherwise.” Sports aren’t the only focus in the Jacobs family. In addition to donating to the YMCA every year, Bob also gives to the parent-teacher organization (PTO) at his son’s school and sponsors a child at Kenya Works | Victory Community Development Center (VICODEC)—the school U.S. Venture supports in Kenya.

“Education is most important, and I want to have a role in making sure these schools function at a high level,” he says. “The fact that I earn enough money to help other people, to give to those who have less—that’s the way I was brought up. It’s the right thing to do.”

Bob has been the sponsor of his child, Evan, at Kenya Works | VICODEC for the last eight years (just as long as he’s been with U.S. Oil) and enjoys having a personal connection to a youngster on the other side of the world.

“…to give to those who have less—that’s the way I was brought up. It’s the right thing to do.”
Bob Jacobs Director of Operations, U.S. Oil, Houston, TX

Supporting Olympic Luge Athletes

Learning how to luge doesn’t happen overnight; it takes years of practice and determination for young athletes to work up to the national USA Luge team. What isn’t widely known is that young USA Luge athletes (and their families) pay for all the expenses out-of-pocket, unlike sports organizations in other countries.

Mark Duening knows this first-hand, because he was a slider on the team for two years in the 1980s. After watching the 1980 Winter Olympics while attending college in Wisconsin, Mark decided that he wanted to learn how to slide. He found the number for the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in a phone book, and the coach informed him that he should try the sport at a luge-on-wheels event in New York City that summer. So that’s exactly what he did.

Mark made that trip with $700 in his sneakers (literally) to purchase a sled from a couple who lived in Lake Placid, NY, who were also at the event in New York City. After doing well at the event, Mark went home with a luge sled to prepare for the upcoming winter season. He would later work for this couple making pizza and sub sandwiches at night to make ends meet while training in Lake Placid. Mark said that the reason he stopped competing with USA Luge after just two years was purely financial. His loans were coming due and he made the decision to return to finish his degree. Today, Mark donates to the U.S. Luge Foundation to support the sport organization that positively impacted his life as a young person.

“These athletes have a passion for the sport and are dedicated to doing whatever they can to succeed,” he says. “I want to give them the opportunity to follow their dream, and I can do that by donating.”

Mark uses U.S. Venture’s matching funds program to ensure that the athletes receive even more support. He appreciates that the company invests in causes that team members care about.

“The experiences I had as a young athlete ultimately helped shape who I am and how I lead today” he adds. “This was bigger than sport itself, and it all started by following a dream. I want others to have similar opportunities and outcomes. I always ask team members at U.S. Venture, ‘What’s your passion?’ If they don’t have a passion, I encourage them to find one and support it, because the company supports them in their effort to make a positive impact.”
Mark Duening Retired Chief Information Officer, U.S. Venture, Appleton, WI