Engagement
Community
From Our Backyard to The World
Community Involvement
Haiti Outreach
Jean-Alix Peralte serves as a Board Member for Haiti Outreach. Through his leadership and fundraising efforts, over $100,000 was raised in a single night to support sustainable access to clean water in Haiti.
VIllage of Barrington Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Volunteer
The Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee is an advisory committee which makes recommendations on the implementation of a comprehensive bikeway and pedestrian plan, including the identification of improved connectivity between communities, promoting a safe and fun bicycle experience in an around the Village’s boundaries through education programs and safety campaigns, and coordinating with surrounding agencies to create a complete bicycle and pedestrian network.
John Clark, an avid cyclist, joined the advisory committee because of his commitment to promoting the use of alternative modes of transportation by encouraging bikeway use for the causal user, children, adults, and experienced bicyclists. This Spring, John volunteered in the Village sponsored bike safety inspection and education program to develop safe bicycling practices for young children.
Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois
Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois operates as a non-profit organization that builds courage, confidence, and character in girls to make the world better place. Jennifer Morales, PE, ENV SP volunteered to share her perspective on being an engineer as part of a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) presentation that served to inspire girls and encourage them to see how they can improve the world through careers in STEM.
American Public Works Association (APWA)
APWA is an organization that provides educational opportunities to members by increasing awareness of the vital role of public work in everyday life, supporting causes to advance the profession and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and information. John Clark has been an active APWA member having served as past Treasurer and is currently the Vice President of the APWA Chicago Metro Chapter - Lake Branch. John used his musical talents as part of a team that created an award winning, educational video titled “You’re Welcome”, as a thank to all the public works professionals for their hard work.
Emory University
For the 2021 Holiday Season, Peralte-Clark staff directed a donation to Emory University to support the development of an antiviral drug initially discovered by Emory’s non-profit drug development company, DRIVE. According to data from a Phase II clinical trial in the United States, the drug appears safe and reduces SARS-CoV-2 to undetectable levels in COVID-19 patients after five days of administration.
Molnupiravir, previously known as EIDD-2801, can be provided as a pill in an outpatient setting, which could be a step up in ease of distribution and convenience. Although Remdesivir and antiviral monoclonal antibodies have received Emergency Use Authorizations from the FDA, they must be given intravenously or by injection. In addition, drugs like Molnupiravir could flexibly tackle SARS-CoV-2 variants, which have emerged as a concern in recent months.
Toys for Tots 75th Anniversary Campaign
In late October, Peralte-Clark launched a six-week campaign in support of the Toys for Tots holiday drive sponsored inside the Exchange at 44 Vail building! The office goal was to donate a minimum of 44 gifts for the toy drive. To encourage participation, each toy donated by staff earned one entry into a random drawing for a Mystery Prize Raffle. Other methods were devised to earn raffle tickets and encourage “friendly” competition including trivia games, minute to win it challenges, and a crossword puzzle (where knowledge of Toys for Tots history was essential).
Our final tally was 63 toys donated, a whooping 143% of the established goal. The Mystery Raffle Prize drawing with a fabulous collection of 7 prizes was held in conjunction with our first–ever Pot-Luck Lunch.
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), Kane County
CASA Kane County is a Guardian ad Litem, nonprofit volunteer organization that advocates for the best interests of children in abuse, neglect and private guardianship cases within the Juvenile Court system. Peralte-Clark supports this organization’s efforts by participating in and sponsoring CASA’s fundraising events which account for one-third of their operating budget.
Lake County DOT, Adopt-a-Highway
Twice a year, Peralte-Clark participates in the Adopt-a-Highway Program through the Lake County DOT. Our team works together to clean up a mile of Arlington Heights Road picking up litter and debris along the roadside.
One Warm Coat, 2020 Coat Drive Sponsor
Peralte-Clark hosted a coat drive through One Warm Coat, a national organization whose mission is to provide free coats to children and adults in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability. Jennifer Morales spearheaded this volunteer effort. Every year, her family selects a volunteer activity for the holiday season. “We chose the coat drive because the kids had outgrown their coats and wanted to donate what we could. We had a warm home, and I was considered an essential worker through Covid when there were so many people struggling through the cold months.”. Jennifer extended an invitation to coworkers to donate to One Warm Coat.
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC-IL)
ACEC-IL is a statewide association dedicated solely to the interests of consulting engineering firms. Peralte-Clark actively participates in ACEC-IL committees and events to advance the engineering industry.
Over the years, Peralte-Clark staff have had substantial involvement having served as a Board Member and Committee Chair, served as liaison between ACEC-IL and other organizations, participated on numerous committees, and sponsored fundraising and volunteer efforts.
ACEC-IL recognized Peralte-Clark, LLC as the “2021 Small Firm of the Year” Award for demonstrated leadership in promoting engineering through their activities with ACEC Illinois and in their communities.
Together We Rise
For the 2021 Holiday Season, Peralte-Clark staff directed a donation to Together We Rise (TWR), a non-profit organization comprised of motivated young adults and former foster youth. Their vision is to improve the lives of children in foster care, who often find themselves forgotten and neglected by the public. In collaboration with individuals, companies, and community partners they bring resources to foster youth and use service-learning activities to educate volunteers on issues surrounding the foster care system.
TWR works with hundreds of foster agencies, social workers, CASA advocates, and other partners to bring their programs to foster youth across the nation. Their efforts have enabled them to provide thousands of foster youth across the country with new bicycles, college supplies, and sweet cases so that children do not have to travel from home to home with their belongings in a trash bag.
Feed My Starving Children
P-C staff and family members volunteered for a 1.5-hour packing session for the Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) program. FMSC offered a variety of volunteer tasks – labeler, scooper, packer, shipper, etc., to fill, pack, and ship MannaPack meals (400-gram packets of vitamins, veggies, soy and rice) worldwide to fight against chronic hunger.
At Peralte-Clark, “Engagement” is one of our pillars and we actively participate in mentoring, training, and volunteer involvement. We empower our staff to become engaged and support causes near and dear to their hearts.