COMMUNITY AND GIVING
Giving: Sponsorship and Donation Request Form
The plant has a long history of supporting local events and organizations that positively impact residents in the community where we operate and are in keeping with the foundational aims and ideals of our operation. We are pleased to be able to continue this longstanding tradition by streamlining and formalizing our application process to make it easier and more accessible.
To formally request sponsorship or a donation, please complete the form linked here (this link downloads a Word Doc form for you). The completed form will be reviewed by members of our local plant Giving Committee and Holcim’s Government and Public Affairs team. Decisions regarding giving will be made on a rolling basis. Thank you for your interest and your ongoing service to the community we share.
Our Community Efforts
We are proud to be able to support a wide range of community events - some of which were new to us, while others have been a longstanding tradition. The Holcim Ravena plant is committed to supporting programs and organizations that benefit local residents because we believe in being a good neighbor, but also because we live and work here — just like you.
A brief overview of all our community-based efforts:
Holcim Ravena leadership and employees were busy in the days leading up to Thanksgiving 2023 to help fight food insecurity in the local community.
We were proud to again sponsor and participate in the Feed Your Mind, Feed a Family Program run by Capital Region Independent Media, publisher of the Ravena News Herald, collaborating with Shop ‘n’ Save Supermarket to provide holiday meals to 75 area families.
Each meal includes a turkey, a box of stuffing, potatoes, and vegetables, and feeds between six and 10 people. Some are given directly to families, while others go to local food pantries, which distribute them.
“We do business in the community, and we are really happy to give back in any way that we can,” said Dave MacLauchlin, plant manager at Holcim Ravena. “This is a great event and a good cause, and we are happy to participate. We look forward to doing it again next year.”
Greg McDade, special projects consultant at the plant, led a team that picked up and packed meals at the Shop ‘n’ Save and delivered them to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
The church food pantry provides more than 100 local families with Thanksgiving baskets, providing each family with at least five bags of frozen and fresh food.
Holcim, Senior Projects of Ravena Thank Meals on Wheels Donors, Unveil New Van Logo
In advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, members of the Holcim Ravena cement plant leadership team joined the Senior Projects of Ravena, local business owners, and area residents to thank donors who made possible the purchase of two new SUVs for the nonprofit’s delivery of meals to homebound seniors in Southern Albany County.
At the event, Senior Projects of Ravena unveiled donor logos for the new SUVs that deliver hot, nutritious meals to some 80 individuals. This supplements the 200 meals Senior Projects of Ravena serves on-site every week and ensures those who are unable to travel are nourished and sustained.
“This donation is so important because it stays in the community where we operate and work and directly impacts people in need,” said Dave MacLauchlin, plant manager at Holcim Ravena. “This is what it means to truly give back. I am incredibly grateful that we had the opportunity to do it. “
The purchase of the SUVs was funded by a $20,000 contribution from Holcim, which was matched by $24,000 from individual and business donors. These vehicles enable Senior Projects of Ravena to provide a variety of services, including transportation to medical appointments, assistance with shopping and small chores, and in-person wellness checks.
The Holcim plant was a gold sponsor of the June 3 Ravena-Coyemans-Selkirk Sports Association (RCSSA) golf tournament in June.
Plant manager Dave MacLauchlin and Greg McDade, who spearheads special projects for the plant, presented a $3,000 check to RCSSA President Matt Miller along with other members of the Ravena plant team.
RCSSA was created to enhance and supplement athletic programs offered in the school district. Its mission is to assist in providing a quality educational athletic environment for all student athletes.
The Ravena News-Herald: GOOD NEWS!: Holcim, community pull together for Sr. Projects 8/9/2023
The Senior Projects of Ravena held a “thank you” ceremony to honor and recognize donors who collectively contributed $44,000 to support the purchase of two new vehicles for the nonprofit’s home delivered meals program – including $20,000 from the Holcim Ravena plant.
The plant’s donation was the largest single contribution to the Senior Projects of Ravena fundraising effort and was matched by individual donations from members of the community. This donation was part of the plant’s longstanding support of local organizations, programs, and events that provide critical services and programming in Southern Albany County.
The funds provided by Holcim and the individual donors have already paid for one replacement vehicle after the organization’s existing car broke down in November 2022 and was deemed beyond repair. A second van will soon be purchased.
With these vehicles, Projects of Ravena staff will be able to continue delivering up to 250 meals daily to homebound individuals across their service area and provide a variety of services – including transportation to medical appointments, assistance with shopping and small chores, and in-person wellness checks.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be able to support the Senior Projects of Ravena and enable them to continue doing the important work of feeding and caring for some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” Dave MacLauchlin, Ravena plant manager, said.
“Giving back to the community and being a good neighbor is an important aspect of what we do at the plant,” MacLauchlin continued. “It’s something our workers and leadership feel very strongly about, and I’m happy to be able to lead the effort of fulfilling that commitment.”
“I am extremely grateful for everything Holcim has done for us, because they are quite literally saving the Senior Center,” said Terri Albano, executive director of the Senior Projects of Ravena. “All our donors have been so generous. Because of them, hundreds of seniors won’t go hungry this year and will continue to receive services and home visits that help them remain in our community.”
On March 31, 2023, Holcim Ravena was proud to be among the sponsors of the inaugural TOP 5IVE Community Changemakers Awards Ceremony at The Wire in Coxsackie.
The event was put on by Capital Region Independent Media (CRIM), which publishes the Ravena News Herald, the local paper of record. Readers in the Southern Albany, Greene and Columbia counties nominated people or businesses that have helped facilitate positive change in their respective communities and improve and uplift the lives of area residents, and a panel of judges selected the final awardees.
This year’s awards included five winners in each the categories: youth, Black/indigenous people of color (BIPOC), women and businesses.
Several individuals represented the plant at the Top 5ive event: Our volunteer extraordinaire and electrical superintendent, Greg McDade; Environmental and Public Affairs Manager Alicia Prioleau; and Environmental Engineer Katherine Gallarno.
The Ravena team donated $2,500 and two hours of volunteer time to support St. Patrick’s Church’s effort to ensure that over 100 local families had enough food this Christmas and New Year’s. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to build on our support of this program during Thanksgiving. St. Patrick’s estimates that all told, the food it distributes each holiday feeds between 300 and 400 individuals in our community.
Pictured from left to right: Leah Smith, Dave MacLauchlin, Christina Conte, Scott Derhammer, Brian Soeffing, Chris Ricciardi, Randy Bitely, Robert McGehee.
Recognizing that there are many members of our community who struggle with food insecurity, the Holcim Ravena plant recently contributed $1,500 to the “Feed Your Mind, Feed A Family” program, launched in 2021 by Capital Region Independent Media, publisher of our local newspaper, the Ravena News-Herald.
Together with other local businesses and charitable organizations, 240 Thanksgiving meals — including turkey and all the trimmings sufficient to serve at least six people – were donated, feeding approximately 1,440 individuals. In Ravena and nearby Greeneville alone, 140 meals, enough to feed between 840 and 1,000 people — were donated to families and charitable groups.
Members of the Ravena team, led by Robert McGehee, Director of Environment and Land for the Northeast Region at Holcim, attended a ceremony at the Shop ‘N’ Save in Ravena’s Faith Plaza the week before Thanksgiving to help distribute bags of food, each of which contained a 12-pound turkey, rolls, a bag of potatoes, two cans of corn, a box of stuffing, a can of cranberry sauce, and a liter of soda.
It was the plant’s second year participating in “Feed Your Mind, Feed A Family.”
“We have been here for 60 years, this is our home, this is where our employees live and play, so it really means a lot to us to take part in these events and support everyone around us - especially those who need support at this time of the year,” McGehee said.
Holcim Ravena was proud and honored to again serve as a sponsor for the Feliciano Body Works Car Show – now in its fourth year — which raises money for the Special Olympics.
The event took place on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, plant manager Dave MacLauchlin attended, and the Ravena plant was well represented, receiving a trophy and acknowledgement for its participation
and support.
Greg McDade, electrical superintendent at the Ravena plant, is the man behind this July 4th installation at Quarry Belt 1, and it runs over the top of CR101, US 9W, and the CSX railroad tracks just before the plant entrance. It is a testament to the Armed Services, the members of whom have been fighting to protect our freedom and that of people around the globe for decades. We salute them!
Ravena plant manager Dave MacLauchlin presenting a total of $15,000 to support the Evening on the Green concert series and 2022 RiverFest, alongside RiverFest Chair Rosemary McHugh and Coeymans Town Supervisor George McHugh. The Ravena plant leadership team is proud to be able to continue its longstanding tradition of supporting the community.
Four days before Christmas, Holcim Ravena (at the time, Lafarge) plant manager Dave MacLauchlin presented a $2,000 donation check to Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS) School Superintendent Dr. Brian Bailey to help provide holiday gifts for students whose families face financial hardship.
This is double the plant’s 2020 contribution, and came as a welcome surprise to Dr. Bailey, who has been working with his staff to ensure that every child feels special and loved this holiday season — a particularly meaningful and important effort in these challenging times.
On the same day, (Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021), Ravena employees delivered food purchased from the local Shop and Save grocery store on Main Street in Ravena to the food pantry at St. Patrick’s Church to support their holiday food donation program.
The plant’s new environmental director, Robert McGehee, presented the pantry’s director, Diane Hoffman, with an official Lafarge polo shirt – in pink – and also a check for $4,000 to help cover the costs of this year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas food drives.
Also pictured are Holcim Ravena employees Ian King, Scott Derhammer and Leah Smith.
Holcim Ravena (at the time, Lafarge) first responders tour, held on Nov. 12, 2021.
The plant manager, Dave MacLauchlin, and Area Environmental and Public Affairs Manager Aaron Kelsey hosted representatives from four local agencies — two Coeymans fire companies, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and the Coeymans Building Department - some of whom have not been on the 3,200-acre site since a multimillion-dollar modernization was completed in 2017.
The tour included a visit to the top of the pre-heat tour, as well as the control room and other key areas of the plant, with the goal of familiarizing first responders with the site and its operations in the event that they need to answer a call at the plant.
Plant manager Dave MacLauchlin presenting at the quarterly Community Advisory Committee meeting, held at Red’s Restaurant in West Coxsackie on Oct. 27, 2021. The purpose of these meetings is to continue dialogue and information exchanges between Holcim, the Holcim Ravena Cement Plant and key community stakeholders. Also at this meeting, local resident Mary Driscoll, whose late husband worked at the plant, was honored for her long-standing dedication and work on behalf of the local community and her unwavering support of the plant.
R-C Sportsmen’s Club youth fishing derby (June 6)
Village of Ravena Friendship Festival (Aug. 28)
Ceitlin Applby, chair of the Ravena Friendship Festival, receives a $9,000 donation from Greg McMade, Ravena electrical superintendent.
Second annual Coeymans Riverfest (Sept. 10–11)
On July 8, Plant Manager Dave MacLauchlin presented Coeymans Supervisor George McHugh and Riverfest Event Coordinator Rosemary McHugh with a $10,000 contribution to help bring this popular end-of-summer celebration back to the community.
Greene County Volunteer Firemen's Association Parade (Sept. 11)
Charlie Steger, Ravena plant production manager, provides a $1,600 donation to Scott Van Wormer, chair of the Cornell Hook & Ladder Fire Company, for the 125th Anniversary and 133rd Greene County Volunteer Firemen's Association Festival.
Community-wide RCS Clothing Drive at the Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School gymnasium. (Sept. 18) Pictured: Greg McMade, Holcim Ravena electrical superintendent
Deer Mountain Park clean-up. (Sept. 25). Part of an ongoing effort to restore access to a former Wildlife Council Habitat certified site, which includes clearing a path to enable public use of this unique greenspace once again.
From left to right: Nathanial Bray, investigator, Albany County Sheriff's Office; Michael Van Flue, project engineer, CAD Manager, H2H Associates; Daniel D. Baker, councilman, Town of Coeymans; Douglas P. Cole, P.E., senior director, Water and Wastewater, Prime AE Group of NY; Lila Wickham, 11; James Wickham, electrician, Ravena plant
Third annual Feliciano Body Works Car Show to benefit the Special Olympics New York, sponsored by Holcim Ravena (at the time, Lafarge). (Sept. 25). This event raised $13,000 to support young Special Olympics athletes in the Capital Region. Holcim sponsored the food, which was free for all attendees.