Marathon Petroleum’s El Paso refinery has partnered with Rebuilding Together El Paso (RTEP) for its third consecutive year. The company will be sending refinery employee volunteers to work on homes in relation to a $50,000 grant the company provided this past September.
In 2023, refinery volunteers helped finish projects at 15 homes. The repairs and improvements ranged from creating wheelchair-accessible spaces, converting bathtubs into showers and installing grab bars to replacing doors, fixing leak-damaged ceilings and painting exterior walls.
“It’s rewarding to do more work that improves the lives of our community members,” said MPC maintenance department manager Brandon Bielamowicz, who organizes the refinery’s volunteer teams and serves as RTEP’s board president. “I’m always impressed by our employees’ willingness and desire to give back to the community. I am frequently asked when our next event is happening because they want to participate.”
“There is a very big demand to fix homes and little capacity to fix all homes,” said RTEP marketing assistant Cristina Zuniga. “It is great to be able to expand our services to more people in the community by working together with Marathon’s employee volunteers.”
Zuniga characterized the efforts of RTEP and its supporters as life-changing, noting projects can enhance both the physical and mental health of homeowners. She added that RTEP staff members gain additional motivation to continue their mission when residents take time to express their gratitude.
“It’s like fuel for the soul, and it feels so encouraging that we want to do more homes,” Zuniga said.
