Happy Thanksgiving! – Facilities and Operations Gives Thanks to Staff and the Local Community

As we reflect on this season of gratitude, we are reminded of the remarkable contributions of our Facilities and Operations staff over the past year, as well as the meaningful connections we share with our local community. This year, CUFO continues its tradition of giving back with joint efforts across multiple departments, offering a meal gift to staff, donating turkeys to local organizations, and packaging and delivering Thanksgiving meal kits to local residents.  

November 26, 2024

A meal gift was offered to CUFO staff, with the option to donate it to local organizations 

In recognition of the hard work and commitment demonstrated over the past year, CUFO staff were offered the choice of food options organized by Columbia Dining and CUFO Human Resources, including a frozen turkey, vegetable lasagna, or vegan dish. Employees were also given the choice to support Columbia Community Service and donate their gift to a local organization.  

A total of 1,200 frozen turkeys were donated and distributed to local organizations serving Thanksgiving meals to those in need – combining CUFO’s donations with additional contributions made by Columbia Community Service, Columbia Dining and Sysco. The organizations include Broadway Community, Inc., Church of the Ascension Food Pantry, NY Common Pantry, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, and West Side Campaign Against Hunger. 

CUFO departments teamed up with Skanska to deliver meal kits to families 

For the seventh consecutive Thanksgiving, departments across Facilities and Operations, led by Construction Business Initiatives, gave back to the local community, this year teaming up with Skanska USA to provide 300 meal kits to local families. This year’s meal kits – doubling the number of donations compared to the previous year – were packaged by CUFO and Skanska employees – featuring turkey along with ingredients for mashed potatoes, green beans, yams and other Thanksgiving favorites. Volunteers from CUFO and Skanska delivered the meal kits to two community centers in Harlem: Jackie Robinson Senior Center and Manhattanville Houses Community Center and handed them out to residents.  

Photos by Michael DiVito for Columbia University