The holidays are such a wonderful time around here for us at Athena Engineering. My parent’s (and Athena Engineering’s founders) Jannie and Richard, always put a focus on family, community, and giving back, which are the same things they brought to Athena Engineering when they opened the doors in 1984. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the season in general were less about getting and more about giving – giving your time, compassion, and love. We’ve kept this holiday spirit throughout our 34 years in business. Here’s a little peek into what made our 2018 Holidays so memorable.
Annual Food Drive
We started the 2018 season with our annual food drive, which grows exponentially every year. The shelves of our local food bank, St. Frances of Rome, were growing bare and the call for food was especially urgent. It’s amazing to me how quickly people respond to the call for compassion and help. After two weeks we had already collected over $500 cash, $250 in grocery store gift cards, and 10 boxes of food. St. Frances of Rome in Azusa feeds hundreds of families every WEEK in the San Gabriel Valley, so the two truck loads of food we delivered will go a long way to helping people feed their families this Holiday season. Some special thanks needs to go out to the following subcontractors, suppliers, and friends of Athena Engineering:
• The Athena Engineering Team
• Inland Pacific Electrical Contractors
• HUB International (Monica Keehfuss)
Company Holiday Party – Fun in the Rain
I had the grand ambition of doing an outdoor “activity” for our company holiday party, since it never rains in Southern California (ahem). Well, it didn’t just rain on the day of our party, it poured. Like really persistent, hard, angry rain. We took a quick 1, 2, 3 switch, rescheduling our outdoor fun to January and hosting a game day in the office with a Buca di Beppo lunch. I’ve always been of the mind that the simplest parties are the best – good times, good food, and good company are really all you need. So, we set up some Nintendo Switches, Jenga, Uno, and raffles. Nothing like some good ‘ol Mario Kart competition to enjoy an afternoon. Top it off with some razzie awards, a money ball, and a big bowl of pasta – perfection.
Toy Drive Benefitting Prototypes
We topped off our Holidays with a toy drive for Prototypes, a women’s shelter in Pomona. All kids should experience the magic of Christmas and we hope that our team’s small contribution will make the day brighter for some deserving kids. Over 100 toys donated by our team made their way under the Christmas trees at Prototypes.
I’m beyond grateful for the blessings bestowed on our company this year, but our greatest blessing is the people that work here. We’re a family – not perfect, sometimes a little crazy, but always full of love. To paraphrase Franklin Delano Roosevelt, you make a life not by what you get, but by what you give. I’m proud to be part of a team that embodies this.
From our family to yours – Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year. May 2019 bring you great happiness.
Best,
Athena
Holiday Fun Gallery
