JEFFERSON COUNTY —Lockheed Martin employees know the meaning of giving back throughout the year and certainly during the holidays. They’ve been at it for 56 years.
Engineer Jim Brantley has spent the past 22 holiday seasons volunteering with Operation Santa Claus, a program that adopts 275 families and brings them presents and boxes of food the week before Christmas. For Brantley, it’s been a family affair and his clan keeps growing.
This year, he had three generations around to help him wrap presents, including his wife and his sister, his daughters and his sister’s grandchildren.
“It’s nice to give and see the families that need something,” he said.
While Brantley may have had one of the larger groups around for the event on Dec. 18, he was far from alone as hundreds of Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance employees gathered with their families to wrap gifts for needy families at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 6705 S. Webster St.
But while this may be one of this branch of Lockheed Martin’s oldest philanthropic efforts in the area, it’s hardly the only chance for employees to give something back. And they seem to be taking advantage.
Lockheed Martin employees around the nation for the past several years have averaged 1 million volunteer hours in various community-related activities, mostly focusing on education or support to military veterans.
“It’s always been a big focus, specifically in our local communities,” said Lauren Rohde, community relations representative for Lockheed Martin Space Systems. “The fact that it is so successful is a testament to what goes behind it.”
All the sites have an Operation Santa Claus project, which started in 1958 in Denver, back when the company was named after Glen L. Martin. It survived during the days of Martin Marietta and into Lockheed Martin. When the United Launch Alliance broke off in 2006, those employees stayed involved with the program.
Operation Santa Claus board president Neal King, while looking over a crowded room packed with people wrapping gifts, said that it was the biggest day of the year for him
“This is a dream. I love wandering the room,” said King, a United Launch Alliance employee. “There are folks who have been doing this all their career. It’s unbelievable how it keeps going.”
King added that program works with various nonprofit organizations to identify families in need.
Lockheed vice president of civil space Jim Crocker walked through the room last week, thanking the workers. Employees are not required to spend any time volunteering, but he is glad that the company tries to keep track. One million volunteer hours is the goal nationwide each year.
“I’m just delighted that we work in an organization where people just give back in the community and do stuff like this,” Crocker said.
Database architect Trina Bibbero has spent parts of the past 10 years volunteering with Operation Santa Claus and brings her daughter, Nikki, when she is available. She stressed the importance of giving back during the holidays.
“I think Lockheed Martin people realize the blessings they have in life and their hearts are in the right place,” Bibbero said.
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com
