At Sunrun, we’re committed to giving employees opportunities to make a positive impact in their communities. One Sunrunner, Alison Werner, has embraced these opportunities and demonstrated her passion for helping others through volunteer work.
On the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, Sunnruner Alison Werner found herself more than a thousand miles from her Florida home and working in a commercial kitchen on Long Island to prepare lunch for hundreds of New York City’s first responders. Alison was volunteering as part of the South Carolina-based charity Hungry Heroes that provides meals to first responders, military service members, and veteran organizations. She’s been involved with the charity since its inception in 2018—helping organize more than 32,000 meals—and has been on the board of directors for the last five years.
“For me, it's just being able to serve and give back in some capacity,” Alison said. “I am a part of a military family. My son is currently in the Navy, my husband is retired from the Army, and my dad and father-in-law were in the Air Force, so giving back to what I feel like is an under-appreciated group is always very special to me.”
Alison, a Leave Specialist on the Benefits Team, started at Sunrun earlier this year and said she’s grateful to work for a company that values service and encourages its employees to volunteer.
It's been very refreshing to join the Sunrun team and experience a culture that empowers us to serve in our communities. Sunrun doesn’t just say that we have a focus on people; it's very evident that we care about our people and want them to have a healthy work/life balance.
As this year’s 9/11 anniversary approached, Hungry Heroes was asked to travel to the suburbs of New York City to prepare and serve a BBQ lunch for approximately 500 first responders in Nassau County. The Hungry Heroes team jumped into action, helping arrange for grills, food and other supplies to be delivered to a park that would serve as homebase for the luncheon.
“It's a huge effort, especially when you're not in your home base,” Alison said. “There's a lot of coordination that goes into it. Prep work for this was going on months in advance.”
All the preparation paid off, and the lunch was a complete success with police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services, and 911 dispatchers from the entire county stopping by to enjoy the meal in person or to take back to their local precincts.
“They were very appreciative of what was being done for them,” Alison said. “I think for those of us who are not New Yorkers, we don't know what it's like for a community to be impacted by such a significant terrorist event. To see the true appreciation of those served, was a true honor.”
While in New York, Alison and other volunteers with Hungry Heroes also participated in a 9/11 memorial service at the Lynbrook Town Hall.
“It was emotional to just stand back and observe the families of fallen first responders still be so connected and supportive of each other,” Alison explained. “The impact that it had on me personally to watch that memorial service is something I'll never forget—the emotion, the connection, and how the community still surrounds them in support.”