When Milt Smith needed family the most, he was lucky enough to have both his immediate family and his work family at
Grimm Construction answer the call.
Smith was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in March 2007 and succumbed to the disease in September 2008. During his battle with cancer, he underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy.
"Milt began his career at Grimm as a carpenter foreman," says Beth Gardner, Grimm’s Midwest lead area coordinator. "Because of his different physical limits, he was unable to work for two months, but he returned as a project manager. He was part of our family for four years."
During his illness, one of Smith’s main concerns was making numerous home improvements for his wife. Unable to tackle the projects himself, his coworkers came together to help.
"The more he talked about the repairs and how he was physically unable to do them, the project managers and area managers passed the word along to people who work in our area to see if we could help," Gardner says.
On June 6, Grimm gave 40 workers the day off to volunteer their time at Smith’s home. The crew paved the driveway and sidewalk, as well as completed other smaller tasks around the house. Grimm workers and area businesses donated all the labor and materials for the home improvement project.
"We basically shut down our area on a Friday, giving our employees the opportunity to volunteer to help their friend and coworker," Gardner says.
Unfortunately, Smith was receiving medical treatment for an infection on the day of the makeover, and missed the opportunity to be home to show the volunteers his sincere appreciation for their kind deeds.
"He wanted to thank them in person," says Marsha Smith, Milt’s wife. "Grimm has gone above and beyond anything that anyone could ever ask of a company. You just can’t put into words what people do and how much they care."
Grimm Construction, Kansas City, Kan., is a member of Associated Builders and Contractors’
Heart of America Chapter.