Wills Group Campaigns for Safe, Healthy Homes, Fights Childhood Hunger
The Wills Group released “Keeping Lives in Motion,” a report that details its 2017 activities in support of communities across Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
The Wills Group’s strategic focus, set in 2017, is on issues the company believes it can make the greatest impact: childhood hunger and safe, healthy homes. The goals for the community engagement effort are to ensure that basic needs are met and that everyone has opportunities to create a better future for themselves, the company said.
“For more than ninety-two years, we have committed ourselves to caring for and supporting the communities where we operate and live,” said Lock Wills, chairman, CEO and president of The Wills Group. “This report makes clear our ongoing dedication. I am incredibly proud of our company and the efforts of our employees who contributed hundreds of hours through on-site volunteerism, and who also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for our charitable partners.”
Achievements celebrated in the report include:
- 1.5 million meals for children in partnership with No Kid Hungry
- 10,000 children enrolled to receive free breakfast in Maryland and Virginia
- $150,000 donated to No Kid Hungry
- 678 households assisted through the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP)
- $61,304 distributed through SMO Cares and MEAP
- 16 households provided with heating equipment through SMO Cares
In 2017, The Wills Group donated $455,876, which provided support for 36 charitable organizations and 42 grants in the communities where it operates. The Wills Group also organized the inaugural Blackie Wills Golf Classic & Gala in 2017, with more than $500,000 raised to support The Blackie Wills Community Leadership Fund. The Blackie Wills Community Leadership Fund honors Julian Blacklock “Blackie” Wills, the third president and CEO of The Wills Group, and carries on his commitment to community and civic engagement.
Learn more about The Wills Group’s commitment to community engagement by reading the full report at willsgroup.com/community.
Headquartered in La Plata, Maryland, The Wills Group, Inc. is a family-owned company operating in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The Wills Group is the parent company of SMO Energy, a provider of propane, heating oil and HVAC equipment in the Southern Maryland region. It also operates Dash In, Splash In ECO Car Wash, SMO Motor Fuels, and Potomac Energy Holdings (PEH). For more information, visit thewillsgroup.com.