Community / Press

Truebeck Construction Completes Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus

March 7, 2024

Truebeck recently completed work on the Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus in San Rafael, CA. The $8.2 million project consisted of a 16,500sf fit-out designed by MBH Architects and Van Meter Williams Pollack.

Vivalon is a non-profit organization that has been serving older adults and people with disabilities in Marin County for 70 years. Vivalon’s new Healthy Aging Center features facilities that enhance the vitality, health, and happiness of older adults, as well as a health clinic. The highly anticipated project, designed to meet the needs of Marin County seniors, promises to be a modern hub for socializing, intellectual engagement, and wellness. Truebeck joined Vivalon, Bradac Co., Eden Housing, members of the community, and elected officials to celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting for this exciting new space on February 9, 2024.

The Healthy Aging Campus amenities include the new Vivalon Café as well as space for classes and programs to help older adults live more vibrantly. Features include an art studio, auditorium, computer lab, library, exercise room, conference rooms, and offices. The first-floor medical clinic includes exam rooms, nursing stations, blood draw rooms and physician offices.

“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Vivalon on this meaningful project,” said Lindmay Ponzo, Truebeck Project Executive. “This project allowed us to make a real difference in the lives of seniors and their families.”

The Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus promises to be a significant enhancement to the community, providing older adults with medical services, learning opportunities, nutrition services, accessible transportation and more—all with the goal of promoting healthy aging and social connections for county residents.

For more information, visit: https://vivalon.org/healthy-aging-campus/

Truebeck Construction Completes Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus

Truebeck Construction Completes Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus

Truebeck recently completed work on the Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus in San Rafael, CA. The $8.2 million project consisted of a 16,500sf fit-out designed by MBH Architects and Van Meter Williams Pollack. Vivalon is a non-profit organization that has been serving older adults and people with disabilities in Marin County for 70 years. Vivalon’s new Healthy Aging Center features facilities that enhance the vitality, health, and happiness of older adults, as well as a health clinic. The highly anticipated project, designed to meet the needs of Marin County seniors, promises to be a modern hub for socializing, intellectual engagement, and wellness. Truebeck joined Vivalon, Bradac Co., Eden Housing, members of the community, and elected officials to celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting for this exciting new space on February 9, 2024. The Healthy Aging Campus amenities include the new Vivalon Café as well as space for classes and programs to help older adults live more vibrantly. Features include an art studio, auditorium, computer lab, library, exercise room, conference rooms, and offices. The first-floor medical clinic includes exam rooms, nursing stations, blood draw rooms and physician offices. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Vivalon on this meaningful project,” said Lindmay Ponzo, Truebeck Project Executive. “This project allowed us to make a real difference in the lives of seniors and their families.” The Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus promises to be a significant enhancement to the community, providing older adults with medical services, learning opportunities, nutrition services, accessible transportation and more—all with the goal of promoting healthy aging and social connections for county residents. For more information, visit: https://vivalon.org/healthy-aging-campus/
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Truebeck Wins Silicon Valley Business Journal Community Impact Award

Truebeck Wins Silicon Valley Business Journal Community Impact Award

Each year, the Silicon Valley Business Journal recognizes people, organizations, and companies that give back to their communities. This fall, the Business Journal honored Truebeck with their prestigious Community Impact Award. Receiving this award is a testament to the commitment Truebeck has for service and giving back. This year alone, Truebeck volunteered for 50+ non-profit events and donated over $250,000 toward worthy local causes. To learn more about Truebeck's philanthropic endeavors, visit this link to see the Silicon Valley Business Journal article, or read the article below. Truebeck Construction forms foundation to give back to community By Danny King – Silicon Valley Business Journal Contributor From a philanthropic standpoint, Truebeck Construction has always had the advantage of being able to contribute to the community through projects in its proverbial wheelhouse. "Our first project was a little community center in East Palo Alto that was a full-day volunteer project," said Truebeck Co-Founder Sean Truesdale. "It involved carpentry, landscaping, and painting to improve a school building." From that modest project sprang a philanthropy presence that’s expanded along with the growth of the company, which was founded in 2007. Truebeck employees volunteered at about 50 events in the past year, with participation ranging from about 10 to 40 employees. In addition to those hours, the company contributed about $250,000 in funds and raised about $200,000 more from its construction partners during the past year, with much of the focus on helping socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. The company also formalized such efforts last year by starting a philanthropy nonprofit arm called the Truebeck Foundation, whose four full-time employees coordinate the efforts of the approximately 100 workers who regularly volunteer at events around the region. "When we were first formed, philanthropy was more about donating your time and giving back", Truesdale said. "Then it became about giving back time and money. More recently, it’s been about donating time, money, and fundraising to help raise money." One such example is Truebeck’s work with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, where employee volunteers packed and shipped Hope Kits filled with items such as fuzzy socks, inspirational bracelets, and journals for breast-cancer patients. Truebeck's Team for Tomorrow assembles Hope Kits in partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The company worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation on building a backyard basketball court, complete with a custom-painted Golden State Warriors logo, for a local teenager with cerebral palsy. Truebeck has also long worked with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. Since launching its philanthropy partnership with the food-bank operator in 2010, Truebeck employees have contributed more than 1,300 service hours, either through food sorting at warehouses or giving out groceries at Second Harvest’s distribution sites. Shobana Gubbi, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley chief philanthropy officer, said: "Truebeck is clearly a company that cares about the communities their employees live and work in." Truebeck volunteers at food packing and distribution events with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. Truesdale is quick to point out the benefits of having such a public-facing company in such a visible industry associated with giving back. "When people see the Truebeck name, we want people to think about a company that does good, said Truesdale. I grew up in the Bay Area, and I feel blessed to have the ability to give back." Headquarters: San Mateo Website: www.truebeck.com/stewardship Mission: The Truebeck Foundation supports six initiatives: youth, health, education, workforce training, military and the environment. Annual operating budget: Approximately $1 billion Volunteers: 100 Paid staff: 650 Number of people reached/served/impacted in 2022: More than 25 charities supported and over 50 events/fundraisers. Interesting tidbit: The Truebeck Foundation’s philanthropy partners range from the Surfrider Foundation to Autism Speaks to the Positive Coaching Alliance.
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Truebeck Construction Announces Truebeck Foundation Annual Giving

Truebeck Construction Announces Truebeck Foundation Annual Giving

We are pleased to announce the Truebeck Foundation’s non-profit recipients for 2023-2024. The Truebeck Foundation reflects the firm’s commitment to corporate responsibility, and specifically programs for youth. The purpose of the 501(c) non-profit is to lead and inspire actions that improve the education of disadvantaged youth affected by socio-economic disparities. The proceeds from Truebeck’s annual charity Golf Tournament are directed to this cause, specifically: Ever Forward Club: The Foundation will sponsor eight public high schools, two in each of Truebeck’s regions – San Mateo, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Portland – with a mental health workshop for underserved youth. [caption id="attachment_4527" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Ever Forward Club delivering its signature Taking Off The Mask workshop. Photo: Ever Forward.[/caption] Society of Women Engineers, Golden Gate Section: The Foundation will support five scholarships for women engineers attending college. [caption id="attachment_4528" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Society of Women Engineers, Golden Gate Section 2023 scholarship recipients.[/caption] California State University, Chico: The Foundation will fund five years of scholarship support for construction/engineering students. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: The Foundation will fund five years of support for students in the building design, construction, and real estate programs. Eastside College Preparatory School: The Foundation will support a four-year scholarship to this private high school in East Palo Alto, with a focus on readying first-generation students in low-income families to attend a four-year college. [caption id="attachment_4529" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Eastside College Preparatory School’s challenging and engaging curriculum opens new doors for students historically underrepresented in higher education.[/caption] Cassidy Thompson, President of the Society of Women Engineers Golden Gate Section made the following statement: “Since 2021, Truebeck has supported the Society of Women Engineers by donating to our annual, merit and need-based scholarship program that awards local, female Bay Area high school seniors who will pursue a degree in engineering at an accredited university. In the past three years alone, the Truebeck Foundation has helped us make an impact on over two dozen students who are working to achieve their dream of becoming an engineer.” Sean Truesdale, Truebeck Co-Founder, made the following statement: “We are a mission-driven company. The Truebeck Foundation reflects the foundational purpose of our business–to create a positive impact on our industry and communities. That responsibility guides the decisions we make for annual giving.”
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Truebeck Celebrates National Volunteer Week

Truebeck Celebrates National Volunteer Week

It’s National Volunteer Week this third week of April, a celebration that spotlights inspiring individuals and organizations whose work betters our community. One of Truebeck’s core values is: “Business and life are all about people.” This principle is the driving force behind all our philanthropic efforts, and we’re proud of our workplace culture of giving back. This week, we’re featuring some of the incredible organizations that we support through our Team for Tomorrow program. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley This non-profit does indispensable work to build a hunger-free community by distributing nutritious food to nearly every neighborhood in Silicon Valley. Truebeck is proud to have volunteered with this organization since 2012 through monthly food packing and distribution events. At our last event, Team for Tomorrow members sorted 11,500 pounds of food, and we’re looking forward to our next event on April 21. Learn more about how you can support Second Harvest here: https://www.shfb.org/ River City Food Bank 15% of Sacramento County residents experience food insecurity, meaning they lack reliable access to an adequate supply of affordable, nutritious food. The River City Food Bank is a non-profit that alleviates hunger by providing consistent access to healthy food for all. Their programs serve low-income families, children, seniors, individuals who are medically fragile, refugees/asylum-seekers, individuals experiencing homelessness, the working poor, and individuals with disabilities. Recently, Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow members handed out food to more than 400 families at the River City Food Bank in Sacramento. Read more about how you can participate here: https://rivercityfoodbank.org/. The National Breast Cancer Foundation The National Breast Cancer Foundation has been a beacon of light in our community for over 30 years, working to help and inspire hope in those affected by breast cancer. Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow is proud to support this organization through annual Hope Kit packing events, Breast Cancer Awareness Walks, and wearing pink during the month of October. Our San Mateo and Portland offices recently fundraised and held packing parties to write cards of encouragement and assemble 225 Hope Kits to be mailed directly to patients’ homes. These packages are filled with thoughtful items to help comfort women going through treatment, including fuzzy socks, tumblers, inspirational bracelets, and journals. See how you can get involved here: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/. The Make-A-Wish Foundation This incredible organization has created life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses for 40+ years. Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow and self-perform concrete team became wish-granters after fulfilling recipient Isaiah’s wish. As one of the Golden State Warriors biggest fans, Isaiah chose to have a half-basketball court built in his backyard. Truebeck partnered with Goodfellow Construction to install the backyard court, complete with a custom paint job and personal hoop for Isaiah. Once the court was complete, NBA2K painted the court with a custom design to complete the finished look. A ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated the completion of the court for this brave young man. This was the third year Truebeck has partnered with Make-a-Wish Foundation, and we look forward to keeping the momentum going. Learn about how you can become a wish-granter here: https://wish.org/ Friends of the Children This Portland-based organization pairs youth with a paid, professional mentor from kindergarten through high school. Their goal is to break the cycle of generational poverty, and they have a proven track record with: 95% of participants remaining free from the juvenile justice system, 83% of participants earning a high school diploma or GED, and 92% of participants going on to enroll in post-secondary education or enter the workforce. Truebeck is honored to support Friends of the Children with ongoing volunteerism and fundraising. Learn about how you can get involved here: https://friendspdx.org/.
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Pete Caputo Supports CIEF Event in Sacramento

Pete Caputo Supports CIEF Event in Sacramento

The Construction Industry Educational Foundation (CIEF) is an organization dedicated to helping high school students and young adults learn about and experience the AEC industry. One of their annual events is a 38-year running Design Build Competition, an educational opportunity to learn about the ways construction professionals interact with designers and engineers to successfully complete a project. During the four-month program, following defined criteria provided by CIEF, each team completes the challenge of designing and preparing construction documents for a 96 square-foot structure — which are submitted for plan review by volunteer community plan-checkers and architectural professionals. The construction phase of the competition takes place over two days in Orange County and Sacramento each spring. With decades of progressive delivery expertise, Pete Caputo, Vice President of Operations, volunteered at the event as a judge. The event itself brought in 600 high school students to build structures to support the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX1NpQocnLQ
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Girls Build Visits Truebeck Portland Job Site

Girls Build Visits Truebeck Portland Job Site

Many women in construction will often reference that their interest in the industry started at a young age. They might share a story about how a particular family member worked in construction, or a STEM class inspired them, or their curiosity was piqued when playing with Legos. Opportunities to expose girls to engineering and construction are crucial to encourage the next generation of women to join the industry. To help create moments like this, Truebeck’s team partnered with Girls Build, a non-profit in Portland dedicated to empowering young girls to enter the world of building. Girls Build™ offers programming for girls teaching the basics of carpentry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, painting, auto and bike mechanics, sheet metal, and more via summer camps (8-15 year olds) and after-school workshops. Truebeck’s team held an event at one of our projects where around a dozen girls worked hand-in-hand with our team to construct a portion of the project. Not only did the girls get to use tools and build a part of the project, but they also got to meet Christine Zinkgraf who is a Project Executive at Truebeck. “This project team is passionate about involving the community and Girls Build was a perfect organization to partner with,” shared Zinkgraf. “It was incredibly fulfilling to provide local girls with hands-on construction experience while also introducing them to our strong female leadership team and a potential future career in construction.” Truebeck thanks Girls Build for all the work they do to teach and empower girls for a future in building.
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Truebeck a Top Ten Donor Nationally for Movember

Truebeck a Top Ten Donor Nationally for Movember

“It’s exciting to be live, to see so many faces out there and so many mustaches,” Todd Ahern said as he kicked off Truebeck's 8th annual Movember event. “They look great,” Nick Pera added as he and Todd looked out at those in attendance. In the crowd, nearly all the men had mustaches trimmed and cut into different styles. Each year, Truebeck Construction participates in Movember. A play on the name November, it’s a month where men grow mustaches to raise awareness around men’s health and fundraise to support research and services on that front. Specifically, the Movember Foundation focuses on testicular and prostate cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. The non-profit got its start when a group of men in Australia attempted to bring back the mustache as a fashion statement. Now, Movember is one of the largest international organizations supporting men’s health. But growing mustaches and raising money is only a scratch on the surface for what Truebeck does over the course of the month. From the first of the month to the last, the team engages in contests, giveaways, and a teamwide event to celebrate. The theme for 2021 was “Raise the Barbershop,” a play on the company’s motto, “Raise the Bar.” In previous years, Truebeck did themes like the Moscars and mustaches in sports. At this year’s celebration event, the team hauled barber shop chairs into the main office and even brought in a local stylist to give shaves during the live event. “It started initially as a way for us to honor all the fathers, sons, husbands, uncles, brothers, and nephews, all the men in our life that unfortunately somewhere along the way may be impacted by anything from prostate cancer and testicular cancer to unhealthy lifestyles and poor mental health,” said Ahern. This year, Truebeck’s team raised $38,980! This put Truebeck Construction as the tenth highest team nationally for fundraising as well as the highest donor from the construction industry. “It’s another great year, we’ve blown out our target. There is no stopping Truebeck,” said Ahern. But among the Truebeck team there was a special group that were the largest contributors to this year’s success. A team comprised of six women called “The Hair Naked Ladies of Truebeck.” On this team were Brynda Olson, Betsy Bice, Jessica Mills, Kelley Wathen, Christine Zinkgraf, and Kalie Ward. These women raised over 50 percent of the total amount with $20,040. They were also ranked sixteenth on Movmeber’s Individual Leaderboard and broke Truebeck’s internal record for most money raised within the team. “It was fun to come together with this group of women to join the cause and raise awareness and money for Movember,” said Bice. As to how the team formed, Ward shared, “Brynda came up with the idea and we all jumped on board at the chance to band together. I think that the team aspect really led to our fundraising success as many of those who donated wanted to contribute to multiple members of the team or just liked the idea of the Hair Naked Ladies. Our goal is to try to motivate other potential teams to do the same.” While interviewing two representatives of the Hair Naked Ladies—Olson and Wathen—Pera asked, “How did you get all those funds? Because that’s absolutely amazing, no one at Truebeck has done what you have done.” “Our tips on how to raise the most money for this are if you drop the word ‘naked’ in an email, you get a lot more attention,” Wathen said as the crowd laughed. As for why Wathen chose to personally participate, she said, “Men’s health affects all of us, and we wanted to do our part to contribute!” “This was for a great cause to raise funds and bring awareness to something that affects us all,” said Olson. “Participating in a mustache competition was not on my radar... for obvious reasons,” said Zinkgraf. “But when this team came together we felt confident the blue ribbon could be ours. The real winners are the men in our lives, and I am thrilled that our donations will help bring awareness to men's mental health which has been stigmatized for too long.” As an industry with a strong male workforce, there is a vested interest for the construction industry and general contractors like Truebeck Construction to support causes like Movember. “Team Truebeck continues to be a leader for the betterment of men’s health and it amazes me every year to see the team’s enthusiasm for this event,” said Ahern. “Even more incredible is how team members yearly outreach continues to Raise the Bar in support of the Movember Foundation. The Hair Naked Ladies threw down a massive gauntlet this year and I for one can’t wait to see who will rise to the challenge in 2022.” https://vimeo.com/649230101/c6b3e33e92
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Truebeck Helps Friends of the Children in Their Fight Against Generational Poverty

Truebeck Helps Friends of the Children in Their Fight Against Generational Poverty

When Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow began looking for opportunities to serve in the Portland area, one charity stood out: Friends of the Children. Friends of the Children is a local non-profit focused on breaking the cycle of generational poverty. They do this by pairing a child with a mentor who will be with them for 12 years, from Kindergarten through High School. The results are tremendous with 92 percent of youth going on to enroll in post-secondary education, serving in the armed forces, or joining the workforce. 95 percent of youth remain free from juvenile justice system involvement and 83 percent earn a High School diploma or GED. Truebeck has six philanthropic core initiatives: workforce training, health, education, youth, the environment, and the military. Partnering with Friends of the Children is a natural alignment of missions, as the focus is on the youth and their healthy development. Truebeck hosted a fundraiser garnering over $5,000 for the non-profit. We also hosted a holiday gift drive and the children were able to “shop” in an auditorium for toys and gifts. Most recently, Truebeck’s team co-sponsored and participated in a walk for Friends of the Children. The program, called Steps for Change, was the first of its kind. The goal was to raise $5,000 and our team helped with the final $7,275 that was raised. Friends of the Children has already done incredible work for the Portland community, and Truebeck could not be more pleased to work alongside them and support their cause. We look forward to even more opportunities to assist in the future!
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Truebeck Helps Constructing Hope Students with Their Career in Construction

Truebeck Helps Constructing Hope Students with Their Career in Construction

The construction industry is more than just a place to build a project, it’s also a place to build a successful career. Constructing Hope is an organization dedicated to teaching construction skills to serve underrepresented or under privileged communities. This includes people of color, formerly incarcerated people, and low-income adults. The goal of Constructing Hope is to help these individuals attain sustainable careers, increase workforce diversity, and reduce recidivism. They also want to help the construction industry with their hiring needs. Truebeck Construction has six philanthropic core initiatives: workforce training, health, education, youth, the environment, and the military. As a general contractor, Truebeck strongly believes in the value of diversity on job sites. Truebeck had the privilege of bringing students of Constructing Hope’s program to a project in the Southeast District of Portland. A couple of the project’s superintendents gave a presentation of the project and then gave a tour of the job site. While learning in a classroom is a good start, nothing beats experiencing an actual job site and seeing the daily interactions and events that occur. Truebeck’s superintendents answered questions from the students and gave them insight into the possible career paths available in construction. “The students really seemed to appreciate the walk through and had some great questions,” shared one of Truebeck’s Superintendents. “The Constructing Hope instructors were also very appreciative and expressed gratitude at the opportunity to walk through the job.” Many of these students going through the Constructing Hope program will bring diverse talent and skills to the construction industry. Truebeck looks forward to a continued partnership with Constructing Hope.
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A Bar of Soap and a Fresh Start

A Bar of Soap and a Fresh Start

How do handcrafted soaps help improve the unemployment rate? Recognizing that unemployment harms physical and mental health, Roots Community Health Center launched a workforce initiative to empower the local community in Oakland. Roots created a pathway to jobs for formerly incarcerated Californians by producing small batch artisan soap. As a part of their 2020 Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging charter to support social causes that directly aid underrepresented groups, Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow sought out partnerships with local businesses and charities that shared that mission. Truebeck and the Roots Clinic share a social responsibility focus on health. Roots is an Oakland-based non-profit health center that provides medical and behavioral health care, health navigation, workforce enterprises, housing, outreach, and advocacy. Roots’ Emancipators Initiative combines on-the-job training with whole-person support. Their 12-week program addresses: Basic Education and Job Readiness Navigation and Linkage to Services Mentoring and Coaching Job Training, Experience and Counseling Their Clean360 shop teaches those in the program a trade and helps them get the start they need to succeed after prison. 96 percent of program graduates demonstrate long-term self-sufficiency 96 percent of program graduates are in stable jobs 97 percent of program graduates have not returned to prison since participating in the program Interesting fact: soap was almost toilet paper. While soap seems random, the Clinic researched heavily before making the decision. Roots wanted to manufacture a simple object that everybody needs – so it was either soap or toilet paper. Soap won because it was more inspiring, healthy, natural, and makes people feel good. “Everyone needs soap, and the organization has such a great cause providing opportunities to keep people from going down wrong paths. From the moment it was brought to Team for Tomorrow, I was excited to support it,” said a Truebeck Team for Tomorrow Committee member. After connecting with Clean360 to learn how Truebeck could support them, the firm purchased 2,000 bars of soap. These bars were then gifted to team members, business partners, family and friends. The remaining soap is being donated to local shelters. Truebeck believes that social change starts in your own neighborhood. Local organizations like the Roots Clinic and Clean360 are where real change can happen, and Truebeck is honored to be part of such a great cause. You can purchase the soap online here.
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Truebeck’s Commitment to Local Minority-Owned Businesses

Truebeck’s Commitment to Local Minority-Owned Businesses

In 2020, Truebeck’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Task Force implemented a charter with many objectives, one being to support local diverse businesses. As a general contractor, the first way to do that is on the job site working with our trade partners. But at Truebeck where “raise the bar” is the company motto, the obvious answers aren’t always the best answers. Beyond the job site, Truebeck works with many vendors, outsourcing partners, and other businesses, and the firm realized they could have a much greater impact in helping their partners. One such vendor are wine suppliers. The Truebeck leadership team annually gifts wine to clients and industry friends during the holiday season, and it’s become a long-standing tradition within the company. This year, Pete Caputo, Vice President of Operations, proposed sourcing our wine from local minority-owned wineries. Joining Caputo was the company’s wine-connoisseur, Mike Anderson, Senior Vice President of Operations, who set out to find the best selection available. After researching over a dozen minority-owned wineries, and holding tastings with the leadership team for each, Truebeck settled on two wineries near the San Francisco Bay Area and one in the Portland region. The chosen vendors were Ceja Vineyards, Indigene Cellars, and Abbey Creek Vineyard. In an industry of legacy and privilege, these wineries had neither. Ceja Vineyards is a Mexican-American family owned winery located in the heart of wine country, Napa Valley, California. The founders began their journey as immigrant vineyard workers. Indigene Cellars is an award-winning, Black-owned winery in Paso Robles, California. The founder began as a Ship Joiner and Grocery Clerk. Abbey Creek Vineyard is the first recorded Black-owned winery in the state of Oregon. The founder was born from Haitian-immigrant parents, and found his way from Brooklyn, NY, to become a self-taught winemaker. It wasn’t just their history and high-quality wine that convinced the Truebeck leadership team to select these wineries. What resonated with Truebeck was how each of these wineries were active members of their community and industry, by providing resources and support to worthy causes. As a general contractor heavily invested in the well-being of our neighbors, Truebeck valued the social responsibility and philanthropy of these wineries. Ceja Vineyards commits to promoting the value and fair treatment of farmworkers in agriculture and the food industry. Indigene’s founder creates wine devoted exclusively to his community-focused efforts, with one blend even named “Philanthropist” – for which a percentage of every bottle goes to First Responders in his city. The Abby Creek founder now helps other winemakers tell their similar stories of facing challenges in the industry, specifically the diversity challenge. Truebeck, like these wineries, believes we can all work together to make this world a better place.
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Finding Opportunities to Serve in Portland

Finding Opportunities to Serve in Portland

The grey clouds rolled overhead as five men stepped out of their vehicles. Before them was a small home with cobblestone steps leading up to the front door. They stepped up the stairs, a feat quite simple for construction professionals who climb flights of stairs daily to work on large-scale projects. A feat not so easy for a nearly 90-year-old Navy veteran. In moments, this team of construction professionals got to work constructing a ramp that would provide a safe transition from the door to the driveway. As if they were on a job site, the team quickly defined roles and coordinated an efficient process. After constructing projects that are over 10,000sf, they finished the small ramp before noon. They even had time to crawl under the house to check if there were any moisture or piping issues. Truebeck’s team partnered with Rebuilding Together, a non-profit organization that assists low-income homeowners with needed home repairs at no cost. The goal: to find families in the local community that could use the expertise of a few construction professionals. “Initially, we were planning on doing a bunch of work inside the house, but then COVID hit,” shared Blake LaRue, Project Manager. “We stayed in contact with Rebuilding Together to see if there was anything we could do.” Given the circumstances, Truebeck’s team couldn’t go inside because of the homeowners being high-risk. Despite that setback, the team was determined to find a way to help. “This particular family, the gentleman is a Navy veteran, and the gal is getting older and both were starting to have mobility issues,” continued LaRue. “Even though we couldn’t go inside, there was plenty of work we could do outside of the house. That’s when we got the idea to put up handrails on all their stairs and build a ramp.” With materials donated from both Truebeck and Rebuilding Together, two ramps with handrails were installed to allow ease of access for the homeowners. Speaking of the work Truebeck’s team performed, the homeowner, CJ Hooker, shared, “I found the crew incredibly professional and helpful. They installed a ramp and safety features around our home promptly, and with much knowledge. They were also a fun group of people to interact with and respectful of my wishes.” Truebeck’s team is honored to serve a veteran and help uplift the community. “It always feels good to give back and help out, especially when you hear it’s a veteran and with how times are now,” shared David Holmstrom, Superintendent. “It was a good opportunity to do it. When it’s the work we’re doing its usually construction and carpentry. I have a good skill set in that kind of work and if I have that skill I might as well put it to use for that kind of opportunity.” Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow is comprised of team members who want to give back to the community and make a positive social change. Even now, the Truebeck team in Portland is partnering with local organizations and looking for opportunities to serve the community. "For me it’s just about the commitment, and knowing once you do it, you’re going to feel really good about it." - Blake LaRue, Project Manager.
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Truebeck Mentors Aspiring Students at Woodside High School

Truebeck Mentors Aspiring Students at Woodside High School

The construction industry is one of the best industries for new graduates to enter. With growing wages, high demand, and career growth opportunities more and more of Generation Z is taking an interest. Helping these aspiring students are some of Truebeck’s talented construction professionals, who visit Woodside High School (WHS) to provide mentoring to students in the Sustainability or Business Technology Academy programs. The ultimate goal of these programs is to help the rising generation grasp the construction industry and how they can ultimately build careers in the field. Students of WHS enter these programs as Sophmores and in their junior year they receive mentors. Additional perks include career mentoring, engineering project mentoring, guest speaking, and construction pathway mentoring. The next generation of construction professionals is rising to take the place of many retiring baby boomers. We’re hoping to see many of these high school students join our ranks in the years to come.
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Truebeck Donates Toys to Family Giving Tree

Truebeck Donates Toys to Family Giving Tree

Since 1990, the Family Giving Tree has fulfilled gift wishes for over one million San Francisco Bay Area children, families and seniors from low-income households. They believe that no one should feel forgotten during the holidays. In 2018 alone, they fulfilled nearly 78,000 holiday wishes and provided more than 40,000 supply-filled backpacks to those most in need! In the spirit of the holidays, Truebeck Construction dispersed 150 gift request cards to our job sites. When it came time to pick up the gifts, our team filled every single request. Everyone deserves a special holiday and Truebeck hopes these gifts will warm the hearts of their recipients and let those children, families, and seniors know that someone is thinking of them this year.
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Truebeck Construction in Top Ten Donors Nationally For Movember Foundation

Truebeck Construction in Top Ten Donors Nationally For Movember Foundation

In 2003, 30 men in Australia took a challenge to bring back moustaches as a fashion trend. What once started as a fun social experiment quickly developed into one of the largest foundations for supporting men’s health across the world, The Movember Foundation. Each year in the month of November, the Movember Foundation enlists millions of men into a moustache-growing army with the goal to raise funds for men’s health. For the past five years, Truebeck Construction has been a part of that growing movement, and Truebeck finds itself at the forefront of donations each year. But this year was different from all others. Out of the past five years, Truebeck raised its highest amount yet, $42,132. This placed Truebeck as the seventh highest donor to the Movember Foundation on a national level. How did this all come about? To begin, Truebeck Construction has a vested interest in the Movember cause. In 2017, a study conducted by the National Association of Women in Construction found that just over 98 percent of the construction industry was male. From our own team to the trade partners we work with, the men in our lives are a core part of who we are, and many of our fathers, brothers, sons, uncles, and grandfathers struggle with health problems that often go unchecked. Unique challenges men face like prostate cancer are notoriously underfunded. In 2012, men’s health was ranked 36th for federal government research funding and often men’s health only receives 24 percent the amount women’s health research receives. Further, mental health is deteriorating. There has been a 21 percent increase in suicide among boys and men from 2000 to 2016 according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. To combat these growing trends, Movember reaches out and asks individuals to come together as teams to contribute funds and raise awareness—all through growing a moustache. Truebeck assembled its team in partnership with 95.7 The Game, the best sports radio station in the Bay Area. In the past five years, Truebeck has raised an average of $22,500 each year for the cause with a total of over $112,000. This year, Truebeck nearly doubled that amount by raising $42,132. Swept up in this tide of fundraising was Caroll Moya—one of Truebeck’s Senior Estimators. “I’ll give it a try this year,” she said. “My goal was to get just one donation, just $20.” By the end of Movember, Moya raised over $6,000 in donations from friends, family, colleagues and business partners. Moya was the only female on Team Truebeck and as a result she became the women of Truebeck’s representative. A large part of the donations came from her construction sisters. “I was overwhelmed by the significant number of women who support men’s health. The men are pretty important to us,” Moya said. Truebeck hosts a Movember awards event every year where all participants gather, receive awards, and enjoy an evening in celebratory success. This year was different. There were the usual party decorations, food and drink, and goofy moustaches mixed with laughs and cheers, but the echoes of the night resonated back something more. It was a feeling of pride, the kind of pride you feel when you finish a long race or conquer a tall mountain. The event itself was themed after the Oscars and was aptly called the Moscars. A panel of judges assessed each moustache-touting attendee and selected winners for categories based off famous movie characters like White Goodman from Dodgeball and Inigo Montoya from Princess Bride. Todd Ahern, Truebeck’s Chief Estimator, serves as Master of Ceremonies (MC) and is joined by one of 95.7 The Game’s radio hosts. This year Lorenzo Neal, four-time Pro Bowl player and three-time All-Pro fullback in the National Football League (NFL), stood beside Ahern. “The show Todd puts on is always entertaining,” shared Kathy Reiner. “It’s clear he’s passionate about the cause and the event. It makes the night memorable.” The highlight of the evening came when a large check received the signature that sealed 2019 as Truebeck’s best year for Movember fundraising. But the spectacles of the night were not done yet. The three champions who raised the most were invited onto the stage where Lorenzo Neal waited, his arm stretched out across a table, daring the three to beat him in an arm-wrestling contest. “I’m pretty sure his arm was bigger than my head,” Caroll Moya laughed. One by one the contenders approached and with a crowd amped up, construction professionals pitted their strength against one of professional football’s strongest athletes. Biceps bulged, sweat glistened, and only the final contestant, Moya, could take down the goliath that is Lorenzo Neal. While the entertainment only lasted the night, the impact of so many sacrificing their time and resources to support men’s health will be felt far longer. Even though this year was a tremendous success the real victory has yet to be seen. Across the world, men continue to struggle with health problems and as long as Truebeck stands, there will always be an ally in the fight for men’s health. Todd Ahern, MC for the event and Chief Estimator with Truebeck said, “The enthusiasm of Team Truebeck, along with the generosity of our friends and colleagues continues to blow me away. Every year I think ‘How are we gonna do better than this’, and every year the team exceeds my expectations in their efforts to raise the bar for men’s health.” Truebeck Construction was the number one general contractor nationwide in supporting Movember.
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Truebeck Hosts Build-a-Bike Event Before Holidays

Truebeck Hosts Build-a-Bike Event Before Holidays

It’s at this time every year that Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow steps in to promote the spirit of giving. On November 13, 2019, volunteers gathered at a jobsite in San Carlos to build 50 bikes for the children of Kinship, Adoptive and Foster Parent Association (KAFPA) in Sant Clara County. KAFPA is an organization that provides resources for adoptive and foster families in the local area. They also provide youth and family programming, teach parenting and CPR classes, and advocate for the needs of these families. The bikes were in all colors from princess pink to speed-demon red. They were in all sizes; some were small with training wheels for new riders and some were larger bikes for high schoolers. Thank you to everyone at Truebeck who participated in this special annual event. The contributions of time and bikes will bring fond memories that keep the magic of the season alive.
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Truebeck Participates in Scene Local 2019

Truebeck Participates in Scene Local 2019

What do you get when you mix a top-tier contactor, a famous architect firm, and modern art together? You get something like Scene Local, an event that brings together teams of contractors and architects to create a small space—roughly 150 square feet—that accentuates the theme “play.” On October 16th and 17th, Truebeck showcased the space it created with RMW Architects. Truebeck's Uber team got involved with the project because the event itself raised funds for Kidpower, an organization dedicated to empowering children to overcome bullying, prejudice, and harassment. That was in part why the theme of the event was “play.” Taking the theme of play, Truebeck and RMW divided the space into two sections. One side a lush green room with a dark atmosphere to create a quite space, the other was a bright white room with colored lights. “I wanted to think about how adults play, and how we are bombarded everyday by our tv screens and our phones,” said Jenna Szczech, Senior Designer for RMW Architects. “How do you go from secluded solitude to getting ready to dance it out? There are two sides to adult play and the experience is the most important part.” One of the coolest features of the project was a wall of headphones where guests could listen to calming music in one room and then switch it to dance music in the other. “It turned out pretty amazing and came together quickly. There was a real thought to flow through the space. RMW absolutely nailed it,” said David Steenson Senior, Project Manager with Truebeck. [gallery ids="2524,2525,2526,2527,2528,2529,2530,2531,2535,2532,2533,2534"]
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Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow Attends ALS Walk

Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow Attends ALS Walk

Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow took time on their Saturday to walk for a cure for ALS. All across the world, researchers are pursuing better drugs to assist those with ALS and ultimately find a cure. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. At the event, dozens of tents stood proud to represent the teams that marched. It was a day filled with lots of hugs, love, and hope. The walk wound through Coyote Point in San Mateo, providing walkers with splendid views of the Bay. Two paths were available, one three miles long and the other one. Our group leisurely walked the two-mile course and chatted and laughed the whole way! “It’s an important cause that needs more awareness. We got to meet Kim’s Dad and her Mom, and you definitely felt really good being a part of something like this,” shared Jim Murphy, Preconstruction Executive. The event raised over $200,000 to fight against ALS!
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