In recognition of Earth Day, GFL Environmental (“GFL”) employees Jessica McWilliams and Monica Rodriguez spent an afternoon volunteering to spruce up a children’s outdoor play area with The Bridge Over Troubled Water (“The Bridge”), a family crisis services center in Pasadena, TX.
McWilliams and Rodriguez, a major accounts executive and accounts executive respectively at GFL’s Houston branch, helped children at The Bridge to replant and mulch the playground’s flowerbeds.
“Jessica and I teamed up and we just had so much fun,” said Rodriguez, who personally donated Begonia flowers and soil to the project. “The kids took part in making the flowerbeds. It was great to be able to see the benefits of recycled tire mulch put into action.”
McWilliams added, “We were able to get [mulch] dyed purple, pink, blue and green for the children’s playground, flowers and walk area donated from our customer Primo’s Tires,” she said. “Primo’s is going to bring in even more recycled tires to cover the playground in multicolored tire mulch, which will bring the playground to life for the children.”
McWilliams and Rodriguez serve on their local GFL Employee Sustainability Committee, which helps to engage members in community sustainability projects like The Bridge playground. The GFL Employee Sustainability Committee program is a company-wide initiative that encourages GFL teams to form local committees that promote sustainability in their offices and communities.
Jessica Pineda, volunteer program manager with The Bridge, explained that the experience will have a lasting positive impact for the kids involved and that the organization was grateful for McWilliams’ and Rodriguez’s contribution.
“This event would not have been a success without [Jessica and Monica’s] involvement—because of their support, our children’s playground looks amazing,” Pineda said. “Their time and donation were a huge hit and we truly appreciate all the efforts that they have put in to making the project happen.”