Being a good neighbor has long been a focal point for Valero, which continues to be recognized for its commitment to giving back to its local communities. For the third straight year, Valero was named to the list of America’s 50 most community-minded major companies, The Civic 50, and was recognized as the list’s top energy-sector company. The list is compiled annually by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, in order to recognize companies for their commitment to improve the quality of life in communities where they do business.
In 2016, Valero generated more than $41 million for worthy charities or causes, through direct donations or fundraising. Its employees logged more than 148,000 volunteer hours for hundreds of community projects.
Locally, Valero St. Charles Refinery has taken that commitment to heart, which was made clear through its efforts with United Way last year. Valero St. Charles’ 2016-17 United Way campaign was extremely successful, setting the high mark among all of Valero’s 13 U.S. refineries. Employees generated more than $1.1 million in pledges and additional fundraising for this campaign.
Because of this outstanding campaign, Valero St. Charles received a $20,000 prize as the United Way Agency of Choice, hitting marks of 115.5 percent to goal, a 100 percent participation rate and an 88 percent mark for highest Care Share and above giving. St. Charles was the lone refinery to turn in a 100 percent participation rate among Valero sites. Valero St. Charles chose Alpha Daughters of Zion as the beneficiary for the Agency of Choice bonus money.
The employees of Valero St. Charles are looking forward to another successful United Way Campaign this year. Valero held its 15th annual fishing tournament on June 3 and raised $27,114 for United Way St. John.
Along with in-kind and monetary donations, volunteerism is very important to Valero. For example, the company makes a huge impact on the St. Charles Toy and Gift Fund, a holiday celebration orchestrated on a grand, highly coordinated scale featuring a toy giveaway, photos with Santa, books and food. Valero cooked and served hot dogs, chili and other concessions for 1,300 toy acceptors and their families.
Valero’s more than 50 volunteers, wearing their blue “Valero volunteer” T-shirts, are seen throughout the celebration, but especially outside the building where they prepared and served food to visitors.
“The St. Charles Toy and Gift Fund is just one example of the many volunteer projects we hold throughout the year. Our Volunteer Council tries to find one big volunteer project each month to serve our community,” Taryn Rogers, community relations specialist at Valero St. Charles and Meraux Refineries, said. “Volunteerism is more than what we do. It’s who we are. This community gives us the license to operate. Without a relationship with this community, we couldn’t be operators.”
Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, is an international manufacturer and marketer of transportation fuels and other petrochemical products. Valero, a Fortune 50 company based in San Antonio, Texas, with approximately 10,000 employees, is an independent petroleum refiner and ethanol producer, and its assets include 15 petroleum refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.1 million barrels per day and 11 ethanol plants with a combined production capacity of 1.4 billion gallons per year.
The petroleum refineries are located in the United States (U.S.), Canada and the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the ethanol plants are located in the Mid-Continent region of the U.S. In addition, Valero owns the 2 percent general partner interest and a majority limited partner interest in Valero Energy Partners LP, a midstream master limited partnership. Valero sells its products in both the wholesale rack and bulk markets, and approximately 7,400 outlets carry Valero’s brand names in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland.
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