Month: August 2023

Asking for help can be the most difficult step. A retired army Veteran living in the rural community of Suwannee Valley in northern Florida had been self-sufficient, managing a mortgage and living expenses without any support from Veterans programs.

Then, the unexpected happened: he fell ill. Medical bills added up, then mortgage payments and utility bills. He struggled to care for his health and home, and was ultimately taking care of neither—he didn’t have the resources.

When he heard about MISSION UNITED, a new Veterans’ program through the United Way of Suwannee Valley, he still didn’t believe he was the kind of person who should accept help.

“He wanted the assistance to go to someone else who was more in need,” says Jennifer Anchors, UWSV’s executive director. “It was just this spiral that was going on for him.”

A caseworker was assigned to the gentleman, and he was connected with medical assistance through the Veterans Affairs hospital. MISSION UNITED helped him pay two months of his mortgage and one month of his electric bill. He also joined a local seniors’ group for socialization and volunteering.

“He was able to get back on his feet,” Anchors says. “And he just felt so good about himself.”

Although other programs for Veterans exist in the small community, people were falling through the cracks, Anchors explains, noting the region is home to approximately 11,000 Veterans.

“A lot of times people just don’t know where to go when they need help. We serve as the hub that supports them . . . to help them navigate resources,” she says.

MISSION UNITED isn’t funded by the workplace fundraising campaigns United Way organizations are known for; the program receives funding only through private foundations and grants.

Enbridge was proud to be MISSION UNITED’s first funder, awarding UWSV a Fueling Futures grant of $7,500 to help establish the program in 2021, as part of our commitment to build sustainable communities. We followed that initial funding with $7,500 in 2022 and $5,000 in 2023 to continue the work to support and empower Veterans and their families, and ensure they receive assistance when times are tough.

Frequently, these Veterans offer to pay back the financial support they’ve received.

“For a lot of people, it’s very difficult and embarrassing to ask for help, especially for Veterans,” Anchors says. “We try to reassure them: ‘No, this is not a loan. We’re here to help you.’ ”

It’s just as the program’s motto states: MISSION UNITED is proudly serving those who have served.

Cummins

Cummins Inc. recently announced approval of its entire line of diesel high horsepower engines across all ratings for use with unblended paraffinic fuels (EN15940), often referred to as renewable diesel, including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

Utilizing renewable fuels like HVO can reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel, dependent on the exact feedstock and fuel pathway.

This approval applies to all high-horsepower engines for all applications in use across a variety of industries, such as mining, marine, rail, defense, and oil and gas. All industrial engines currently in the field can be fueled with 100% renewable diesel, or any blend of renewable and traditional diesel, with no engine modifications required. Any renewable diesel used must meet the EN15940 standard, as defined by the European Committee for Standardization.

“As we work alongside our customers toward a carbon neutral future, bridge solutions like alternative fuels are critical in decarbonizing existing equipment,” said Gary Johansen, Cummins’ Vice President, Power Systems Engineering. “Approving unblended renewable diesel use in all high horsepower engines is one more step on our path of continued innovation to help our industrial customers reduce their carbon footprints while upholding performance and reliability standards.”

Prior to this announcement, Cummins allowed up to 25% renewable diesel for high-horsepower engines for industrial applications, as well as up to 100% renewable diesel for the QSK95 engine for rail applications. Cummins was first to market in 2021 with the approval of 100% renewable diesel use in standby generator sets used in data centers and other key applications.

Technical evaluations of all high-horsepower engines utilizing renewable diesel included emissions cycle, performance, transient, fuel consumption testing as well as field testing.

The trials showed that exhaust emissions output continued to be comparable to engines operating on conventional diesel fuel and within established EPA targets with no changes to engine hardware and software. The trials also showed that, when compared to conventional diesel, the use of renewable diesel can serve as a drop-in replacement, as well as:

Reduce well-to-work greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 90%.Reduce tailpipe emissions of particulate matter and smoke up to 50%Provide no impact to service/maintenance intervals.

This announcement is an example of Cummins’ commitment to advance the company’s current technology to achieve industry-leading emissions reductions. Through PLANET 2050, the company’s environmental sustainability strategy, Cummins pledges to address climate change, support communities and use resources wisely.

“Engineering was not something that I thought was accessible to me and going through the Porterville program really opened my eyes. The Thinkabit Lab has really affected my growth and development. Qualcomm gave me the confidence to start dreaming about a career in engineering.”

Luis, Thinkabit Lab student participant and summer camp intern from Porterville, California

As published in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

Thinkabit Lab is our homegrown STEM engagement program that introduces students to the invention process through hands-on engineering activities. Since 2014, Thinkabit Lab has engaged students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to wire circuits like an electrical engineer, code like a computer scientist and build and design IoT-themed inventions that address a real-world problem. These and other career exploration activities give students an idea of the variety of jobs that can be found at technology companies like Qualcomm, while helping them understand how they can use technology to shape a better world.

This year, we added to our Thinkabit Lab curriculum, by:

Adding a new sustainability theme to our projects to encourage these future inventors to integrate a sustainability mindset as part of their design and invention process.Revamping our Wearable Tech curriculum to expand across multiple IoT sectors. By utilizing sensors, students were able to create IoT devices that show how wearable technology can improve healthcare and public safety and make our lives more efficient.Developing a guided experience for educators at all skills levels, providing them a suggested lesson flow, guided videos and instructional tips. This guide is easily accessible for educators to implement our free activities in their classroom or after-school program.Incorporating a career exploration component using O*NET resources and a lesson led by a Thinkabit Lab instructor. These materials help anyone who goes to our Learning Center to engage in STEM learning, even outside of our formalized programs.

Here’s a snapshot of our 2022 impact across the United States:

24 Sites* across 7 states throughout the U.S.10,000+ Students Reached425+ Girls Reached through Wearable Tech Camps32 Week-long STEM Camps Reaching 1,000+ Students11 Newly Trained Instructors75 Educators Engaged48 Qualcomm Employee Volunteers121 Volunteer Hours

*Sites are defined as collaborating organizations that deliver the Thinkabit Lab program in either a virtual or physical capacity

Learn more in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report