BNSF News

Holiday Round-Up

2008-12-18

Many BNSF employees have worked together to provide for the less fortunate this holiday season.

This is the first of two stories about how BNSF employees are reaching out to help others. Watch Monday’s BNSF News for more.

Coat Drive

St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minn., employees started thinking about cold weather well before Halloween. The Twin Cities Diversity Council gathered new and gently used adult coats, gloves, mittens, scarves and hats. Boots and a food drive also were added to this year’s drive. All donations went to Harbor Light, the largest homeless shelter in Minneapolis.

Toys for Tots

In addition to efforts already reported in BNSF News, employees in Enid, Okla., help give local children a Christmas to remember through the Toys for Tots campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Midway Terminal employees in St. Paul, Minn., also participate in Toys for Tots, encouraging employees to donate toys and/or money to purchase appropriate toys.

Salvation Army Angel Tree

Employees in a number of locations participated in the Salvation Army Angel Tree to help children and senior citizens enjoy a happier holiday season.

• Employees in the Northtown (Minneapolis) General Office Building (GOB) handled 30 Angels. The Engineering Department led the efforts.
• Kansas City Diversity Council helped 300 Angels.
• Fort Worth helped more than 900 Angels. In addition, employees and their families help with the logistics of the Angel Tree process, including handling family boxes and coordinating mall activities. Cash donations from prize drawings and other activities provided enough to adopt an entire family – and to help with other Angels in the community who were not adopted.

Food drives

It was roundhouse employees vs. carmen in Amarillo, Texas to see who could collect the most food. Donations were distributed to families throughout the Texas Panhandle.

The roundhouse employees won the competition, by the way.

West Quincy, Mo., employees held a food drive to benefit the Quincy, Ill., and Hannibal, Mo., Salvation Army. Employees also donated old prescription safety glasses and eyeglasses, which will be given to a local club or charity for reuse.

South Seattle Intermodal (see photo) collected canned food to benefit the Renton Child Care Center, a non-profit, state-subsidized facility that helps low-income families. The center feeds and cares for up to 50 children per day. For many, it is the only meal they eat all day. In addition to canned food items, clothing, coats, teddy bears and nearly $2,200 in cash were also collected.

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