Giving Back

Grainger Volunteers Assemble 4,000 Disaster Relief Kits

Annual Bucket Build supports storm recovery and skilled-trades workforce development

volunteers at the bucket build event — Photo courtesy of Grainger

Volunteers at Grainger's fifth-annual Bucket Build event in Lake Forest, Ill.

Grainger hosted its fifth annual Bucket Build on Sept. 23, bringing together more than 500 volunteers to assemble 4,000 disaster relief kits for communities affected by future natural disasters.

The event, held at Grainger's headquarters in Lake Forest, Ill., included company employees, ToolBank USA partners and students from YouthBuild Lake County and YouthBuild Waukegan.

Volunteers packed five-gallon buckets with cleaning supplies and hand tools donated by Grainger. The kits are intended to support cleanup, repairs and early recovery work following hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other disasters. ToolBank USA will distribute the kits to affected communities across North America. Potential deployment locations include Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Panama City, Tampa and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

According to ToolBank USA CEO Trey Bearden, the organization has distributed similar kits to 97 communities across the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico during its four-year partnership with Grainger. The event also included a workforce-development component, with YouthBuild students volunteering alongside Grainger employees and learning about careers in the skilled trades and supply chain industry. This is the fourth consecutive year YouthBuild students have participated in the Bucket Build.

Grainger is a broad-line distributor of maintenance, repair and operating products and services, including tools, safety equipment and other supplies used by contractors and industrial customers.