Building Better Communities Local Business Partnership

VISIT HENDERSHOT’S COFFEE BAR

THE WEEK OF JANUARY 20th

TO HELP RAISE $500 for

HEART MUSIC ATHENS

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

As part of W&A Engineering’s 20th-anniversary celebration, we have launched a year-long program, the Building Better Communities Local Business Partnership!

At the beginning of the year, the plan was that throughout 2020, W&A would partner with 12 local businesses to highlight the work they have done in establishing their business as an important part of the culture and economy of Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties.

It appears that this 2020 initiative to highlight and support local businesses is exactly what is needed as our communities start to cautiously get back to work. That is why the decision was made to relaunch our 20^th Anniversary Local Business Partnership effective June 2020. Our leadership team agreed to pick up where we left off and move forward as we continue to show our support for local businesses in the pursuit of our mission to build better communities.

W&A is very grateful for the overwhelming community support and participation this program has received. With this in mind, it was decided to extend the program into January 2021. While this program may be coming to an end soon, we plan to continue to support our local small businesses and the communities in which we work and live in other ways throughout the coming year and hope to introduce the Building Better Communities Local Business Partnership into other communities in the future.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?

W&A will be asking one local business each month to name a nonprofit “beneficiary” and is pledging to match the first $500 in sales revenue earned during the week of the 20th to be donated to their nonprofit every month. Designating a nonprofit as part of this partnership is not only a way to give back, but also as an opportunity to recognize the significant role these community partners have in our economy.

This partnership will operate under the W&A Cares Program. W&A’s corporate citizenship initiative, W&A Cares, is part of an ambitious effort to formalize and increase the firm’s commitment to “Building Better Communities” through service and financial support in five focus areas: Community, Economic Development, Education, Employee Well-Being, and Sustainability.

“Twenty years ago, I started a design and engineering firm in Watkinsville, GA. Since then, the business has grown into a multidisciplinary engineering firm with five core disciplines, nearly 50 employees with offices in Athens, Nashville, and Augusta, and a national footprint with project experience in over 45 states. I know the courage and vision it takes to start a business and the tenacity it takes to keep it going. The goal of the Building Better Communities Local Business Partnership is to celebrate local businesses and nonprofits, and I sincerely hope our local community will join us for this 20th-anniversary initiative.”
Jon Williams, CEO and President of W&A Engineering

JANUARY LOCAL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Hendershot’s Coffee Bar was founded in 2010 and has since become a favorite coffee house, bar, and music venue by locals and tourists alike. Located in the Bottleworks off of Prince Avenue, Hendershot’s has been able to host local, regional, and national artists on its stage as well as expand the menu to include food and specialty cocktails.

VISIT HENDERSHOT’S COFFEE BAR’S WEBSITE

HENDERSHOT’S COFFEE BAR’S BENEFICIARY: HEART MUSIC ATHENS

Heart Music Athens’ mission is to make the virtues of music education accessible to all communities in Athens-Clarke County and beyond and to increase students’ chances for success in life through high-quality musical instruction. In doing so, we will foster a positive, productive sense of togetherness among the people in our community through artistic collaboration.