06/20/2023
Sika Corporation was proud to act as one of the Platinum Level sponsors of the 2023 AEC Cares event in conjunction with the AIA Conference on Architecture. Sika donated $10,000 and contributed 5 volunteers!
Sika Gives Back to #ProjectSanFrancisco
Sika Corporation was proud to act as one of the Platinum Level sponsors of the 2023 AEC Cares event in conjunction with the AIA Conference on Architecture. This fantastic event brings together members of the A/E community along with material supplier volunteers to help give back to the local community.
This year’s event was run in conjunction with the local non-profit Larkin Street Youth Services, which helps young people overcome homelessness. One of their local facilities, known as the “Lark-Inn,” provides shelter for local young adults aged 18-24. As one former tenant put it at the event, the Lark-Inn provides shelter, mentorship, and support for young people working to get back on their feet after facing many challenges.
Empowering Housing-Insecure Youth through Sustainability
AEC Cares is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 by Construct Connect and the AIA members. It has hosted community outreach events in various conference host cities since then. This year, volunteers from Construct Connect, the architectural and engineering community, and the manufacturing community descended on the Lark-Inn for a full day to improve the living conditions for residents of the youth center.
Projects include renovating living spaces, repainting rooms, creating murals and other aesthetic improvements, and much more. Several architectural and engineering firms provided pro-bono work to help plan the work and coordinate the materials needed.
As a platinum sponsor, Sika donated $10,000 to help contribute to the costs of the work and supplies for the day’s projects. In addition, five Sika employees were among the day’s volunteers, helping pitch in with various work. Among the volunteers was Vice President of Marketing & Inside Sales, Bill Bellico, who was also asked to be among the presenters during lunch to highlight Sika’s commitment to sustainability and giving back through community engagement events.
"“It was such a fantastic day, and it was wonderful to see members of the A/E and supplier communities come together for such a worthy cause, Sika continues to expand its support of events like this, and I was proud to help represent us as part of the team on site that day.”" Bill Bellico, VP of Marketing and Inside Sales for Roofing
When all was said and done, just over 140 volunteers dedicated an entire day to completely transforming the Lark-Inn facility into a much warmer and more welcoming place for its residents. Sika was thrilled to be able to help support the event and looks forward to even more community outreach opportunities in the future.