RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

ISC volunteers spruce up Ronald McDonald Houses

Each night, St. Louis' three Ronald McDonald Houses serve as a "home-away-from-home" for 39 families of seriously ill children.

But even a home-away-from-home needs regular maintenance. So what happens when a wall needs a fresh coat of paint, or a ceiling tile needs repair?

Since 1999, Ronald McDonald House has turned to ISC Contracting. Each year, between 30 and 50 ISC volunteers spend an eight-hour day completing a punch list of repairs and other maintenance tasks at the two Ronald McDonald residences on West Pine and the one on Park Avenue.

"We do whatever needs to be done," says Dan Green, president of ISC. "One year, we spent the day cleaning and furnishing the new West Pine building's eight apartments. Having served as general contractor on that building, it was rewarding for everyone to help get them ready for the families moving in."

AGC Build Up! Class

ISC introduces Webster Groves students to the world of construction

Every spring, the flowers start budding, the birds start singing and the fifth grade students at Annunciation School in Webster Groves start thinking about a career in construction.

That's because each spring, ISC leads these fifth-graders through the Associated General Contractors Build Up! Program. Build Up! is the first phase of the AGC's Construction Futures campaign, an initiative designed to enhance the image of the construction industry.

Over the course of the five-week program, students get to participate in some hands-on building activities as they learn more about the construction process and the construction career opportunities available to them. The final class takes the form of a field trip to various job sites, followed up by a pizza party at ISC's warehouse and yard.

"One of the goals of the program is to generate interest in construction as a career, and to show how the things students are learning now can help prepare them for it," says Dan Green, who has led ISC's Build Up! Program since its inception.