Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery has partnered with non-profit Rebuilding Minnesota. Marathon recently presented the non-profit with a grant for $140,000, which will support its mission of providing no-cost home repairs for low-income homeowners in the Twin Cities area.

Additionally, refinery employees recently volunteered at the home of an 85-year-old woman to build her a handicap accessible ramp.

The recipient — Helen Holmes — has limited mobility and requires a wheelchair following below-the-knee leg amputation surgery. Holmes, who has lived at her home for over 60 years, could no longer access the front entrance due to the lack of a handicap accessible ramp.

“We greatly appreciate Marathon Petroleum for helping us make this life-changing addition possible for Ms. Holmes,” said Tom Sjogren, project director at Rebuilding Together Minnesota. “Not only is her home more accessible now, but the overall grant money provided by the company means we will be able to help even more people in need.”

About a dozen people from Marathon Petroleum volunteered to build the ramp. Rebuilding Minnesota Together estimates they will be able to build 12 ramps in the area with the grant from Marathon Petroleum.

“At Marathon, we are focused on improving the communities where we live and work,” said Holly Jackson, general manager at the St. Paul Park refinery. “We are proud to be integrated in these communities, and we are excited to partner with Rebuilding Together Minnesota to benefit so many in our shared community.”

Other recent employee volunteer projects include removing litter and invasive plant life from a large area of Mississippi River bluffland property, through the refinery’s longstanding partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River, and a trash pickup along a busy two-mile stretch of roadway in Washington County as part of the local Adopt-A-Highway program.