Julia Pizzi
Vice President, Human Resources
On Saturday, October 3, four newly built homes in Seattle were dedicated to their new families. These homes were built, in part, by the hard work of Cobalt employees who volunteered with Habitat for Humanity over the last year. Cobalt has been a long-term sponsor of the Habitat community. Not only are funds donated by Cobalt and its employees, but employees volunteer their time as well.
This housing dedication was part of a larger celebration for World Habitat Day and the closing of the inaugural Build-a-Thon. The United Nations has designated the day in recognition of the many challenges that the global community faces with regards to the basic need for adequate shelter for all families. World Habitat Day’s purpose is to urge people across the globe to reflect on the world’s housing crisis and to consider our collective responsibility for the future of the human environment.
The occasion also marked the end of this year’s Seattle Build-a-Thon. Forty mayors from cities around the country, as part of the U.S. Conference for Mayors, were welcomed to the event by Ron Sims, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to the celebration.
As Diane Gallegos, COO, Habitat for Humanity presented the Cobalt plaque to me; she gave our Cobalt employees heartfelt thanks for their work over the last year – from building the foundation and framing to putting finishing touches on the interiors. She remarked that, “the construction crews loved to be there the days that Cobalt employees were scheduled. Cobalt folks put muscle into what they did and looked like they really enjoyed what they were doing with each other and on the house. They stood out from other groups with their unique combination of good humor, good will and focused hard work.”
As the crowd recited the dedication prayers in several languages and gave a new homeowner bread so that he, his wife and their ten children would never go hungry, and salt so that they would experience the spice of life and wine (in his case cider due to religious beliefs) to experience the sweetness of life, the world seemed a small and intimate place – a place where every one of us can truly make a difference in the lives of others. Cobalt is proud to be part of a community where our employees were given the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these four families. These families not only have a place to live but they have a “home.” Special thanks to Habitat for Humanity from all of us at Cobalt.
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