At a time when so many are in need, it is important to give back to the community, according to the Linemen Institute of the North East (L.I.N.E.)
"L.I.N.E. considers Saugerties, New York, our home and we want to do something to help our neighbors," says Lisa Gardner, office manager for L.I.N.E.
To make a difference in its community, L.I.N.E. donated $5,000 to the Saugerties Food Pantry. L.I.N.E. hopes the donation will assist those who are having a tough time and encourages other local businesses to do the same.
The scholarship winner, Paladino, started out at a young age assisting his dad in his small general contractor business where he learned about hard work and the value of a hard-earned dollar. He had been looking for a career change the past few years, one that will give stability and lead to a prosperous and fulfilling career.
A few months before the COVID-19 outbreak, he started to save money to attend L.I.N.E. after a recommendation and conducting research on the school, but due to COVID-19, he was laid off from his job and otherwise would not have been able to attend L.I.N.E.
L.I.N.E. received numerous entries for the scholarship. The committee, consisting of Donald, Nanci and Brinnah Leiching, past students and a family friend who has been employed in the utility industry for decades, was unanimous with its appreciation of the winner's story.
"We were all very impressed by the timeline of his progress and his determination," Gardner says. "Being mechanically inclined is something that electric utilities look for in a potential employee, as well as an understanding of the necessity of a good work ethic and can-do attitude. Matthew has shown us in his essay that he has what it takes to become a line worker. Now it is time for L.I.N.E. to help make that happen."
For more information, visit the Web site for the Linemen Institute of the North East. Also, if you have stories of how your line crew, training program or utility is helping the community during the pandemic, email Field Editor Amy Fischbach.
