>
I am the newest member of the WETLAB crew. Going by Kat, I am an analyst on the bench team spending much of my time getting water all over the place.
During my interview process, the lab manager had mentioned how active the company is in the community. I was beyond thrilled and impressed with just this one little mentioning. Then within the first month of my being employed with WETLAB, the 2015 big event nominations had opened. I knew immediately that I wanted to nominate the Veterans Guest House.
Over the past six years, I have been lucky enough to spend countless hours with the men and women who make the Veterans Guest House a ‘home away from home’. I have volunteered at multiple radiothons and poker runs as well as attended events such as Boots Meets Fashion and summertime BBQs.
Whether it is volunteering or attending one of the events, I will always walk away with stories from some of the most courageous people I will ever have a chance to meet. I have met World War II veterans and spouses who make sure that you enjoy one of their home made treats just to see a smile on your face. I have met Vietnam veterans whom are immigrants from Europe and the United States military was their only way to achieve the American dream. I have met an Iraqi War veteran who has become one of my best and most influential friends in life. I have met currently active members of our military and can only thank them for their services.
All of these men and women have given our community a chance to support the most deserving people in our country. The least that I was able to do was bring awareness to my fellow WETLAB employees. I am more than grateful that they have chosen to put time and effort into fundraising for this cause as well as matching all that is raised. If you have a spare moment, please take a chance to support your veterans.
‘We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give’ — Winston Churchill
Visit www.VeteransGuestHouse.org/donate and be sure to enter WETLAB on the “Donation Note or Organization” line. Remember, if you donate before March 6th, 2015, WETLAB will MATCH your donation
My name is Max Reynolds and I am a veteran. I was in the Air Force from 1972 until 1979.
I utilize the VA Sierra Nevada Heath Care System and see the number of patients that they care for. It is a facility in very high demand and covers an extremely large area.
One of the organizations that supports that facility and it’s veterans is the Veterans Guest House (http://www.veteransguesthouse.org). It is literally a house that is used to house family and friends of veterans that are there from to far away to drive home. Surprisingly the Veterans Guest House doesn’t utilize any government funding. This organization is in my opinion, about people helping people. They are people who believe that our veterans deserve assistance when medical care is needed. Our veterans have served our country honorably during war and peace time. They deserve whatever assistance the people of this country can provide when they are in need.
If you have the money to donate please do so. If you have the time to volunteer then please do so. You and people like you are the ones that allow the Veterans Guest House to continue helping our veterans and the people who brought them to the Sierra Health Care Facility.
Thank you to all the other veterans that have served and are serving. Also to the people that assist them when they are in need, such as the Veterans Guest House.
Visit www.VeteransGuestHouse.org/donate and be sure to enter WETLAB on the “Donation Note or Organization” line. Remember, if you donate before March 6th, 2015, WETLAB will MATCH your donation
Veterans Guest House Support
My name is Andy Smith and I am the quality assurance manager at Western Environmental Testing Laboratory (WETLAB) in Sparks, Nevada. I’m fortunate enough to work for a company that truly cares about not only the environment for which or company exists but also the community as a whole. WETLAB donates countless hours volunteering in the community with organizations like the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful just to name a couple. This year we have also decided to “adopt” a cause as a company-wide fundraising event in order to have a focused effort to make as big of an impact as possible. For 2015 the effort is being focused on the Veterans Guest House, or VGH, located in Reno, Nevada. The VGH is a “home away from home” for families of U.S. military veterans while the veteran receives medical care in any Reno/Sparks medical facility. The house serves a 250 mile radius, and beyond, throughout Northern Nevada and California.
I have joined this fund raising effort with full force for various reasons, the same reasons you would: the wish, or quite frankly the need, to “support the veterans”. All of us have friends and loved ones who’ve served or are currently serving our country, many times far from home. WETLAB itself employs a few veterans and we have siblings and spouses currently serving so it hits close to home. A piece that always strikes me as critical is continued support for troops long after their tours or service time has ended. They have sacrificed unknown quantities for us, not just their time and efforts in the service, but things that I’ll never know. Because of this I want the support we all give to be continuous and never ending.
I have spent some time volunteering at the local VA hospital in a position of great need although on occasion a heartbreaking one. I spent many hours in the palliative care section of the hospital which unfortunately became basically the hospice care center for many. Palliative care treats people suffering from serious and chronic illnesses such as cancer, cardiac disease such as congestive heart failure, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and many more. The goal of volunteers like me was simply to have friendly visits with the veterans in that section. We chatted, played cards or board games, we even shared a meal or two. I was fortunate enough to spend time with many older veterans of WWII as well the Korean and the Vietnam wars. One particular gentleman, an extremely friendly man, was a veteran of the Coast Guard and was on duty at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Needless to say he had some great stories. The thought of these veterans, in perhaps their greatest time of need, having to worry about where their loved ones may be staying, troubles me. Keep in mind the nearest VA medical center outside Reno/Sparks is in San Francisco. To know that family is staying in a wonderfully comfortable house literally across the street must provide some level of comfort to those in the care of the local VA hospital. Of course the Veterans Guest House has expenses and costs that many times the veterans simply can’t afford and the house will not turn them away. This is where I, and you, can help. We can donate funds to the house and therefore the veterans. This is my way to provide un-ending support, perhaps years after the veterans have served, but also for veterans who’ve just returned home. If you donate before March 6th, 2015, WETLAB will MATCH your donation. Visit www.VeteransGuestHouse.org/donate and be sure to enter WETLAB on the “Donation Note or Organization” line.
Veterans Guest House Story
In the early 1990s, veterans visiting the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) in Reno noticed that windows on a car were fogged up on a cold morning. This meant only one thing – someone spent the night in their car. It was discovered that a wife and her children had spent the night in their car while her husband was in ICU. This family had no other choice but to sleep in their car so they could be together while he was in the hospital. These veterans, our founders, said “never again on our watch will this occur.” This is when the idea for the house began.
In 1994 the “Spouse House” was opened in a 1935 bungalow located across the street from the VAMC. This house could sleep 5 guest a night and was providing 800 guest nights a year. It became apparent that the need to support our veterans and their families was greatly needed.
In 2002, the Spouse House name was changed to Veterans Guest House. In 2004 a new house was built with 12 beds replacing the original bungalow. The need for a larger home continued to grow and in 2012 a second house was open. The Veterans Guest House provided lodging to over 5,200 veterans and their families in 2014.
This “Home Away from Home” which provides veterans and their families temporary overnight lodging while they are receiving medical treatment is privately funded and receives no government funding for it operations. It does maintain a non-profit 501(c) (3) status from the IRS. Donations are always welcome and the community support during the Radiothon fundraising event is crucial for our operational budget.
How I became involved with the Veterans Guest House
I was telling a good friend that I had visited my Dad at a VAMC in California and had no place to sleep but in my rental car. I had asked the VAMC if I could take a blanket out to my car so I could get some sleep before meeting with the doctors in the morning and it was just scary to think I was sleeping in my car in a parking lot. My friend said here in Reno we have the Veterans Guest House to support our veterans and families while they are getting medical treatment. I knew right then that I wanted to support the Veterans Guest House. I was asked to help with a Radiothon over 10 years ago and I have never stopped helping. I have seen how important the Guest House is to our veterans and their families. They know that they have a safe place to call “home”. I am now a board member and have continued to see the need for our lodging. The Guest House is truly an amazing place and I know every day I am supporting and giving to a fantastic organization. – Carol Langford
Wetlab’s Phaedra Harmening and Gerry Miller recently spoke at a Cub Scout’s Overland District’s Club Scout Day Camp on Saturday, June 14 in Elko County.
Over 150 Cub Scouts visited Wetlab’s Botany Bay, one of nine stations that included archery, armor making, dragon training, knights in space and tournament sparring. At the Botany Bay station, Harmening and Miller gave each scout a pencil and notepad for notes, and worked with the Scouts on ecological concepts.
One question they posed was, “if Elko County’s population is 50,000, with four zeros, how many zeros are in the current world population of seven billion?”
Harmening and Miller likened the Scouts and their parents to members of a species they called “Overland District Scouts,” who, at the end of the day, would all go back to their individual ecosystem niches, using the analogy to explain the introduction of algae, bacteria, dragons and works into ecosystems.
The two Wetlab volunteers discussed the water cycle, how nature abhors a vacuum, and the place of the top three cereal crops – rice, wheat and corn – as they are used to feed the world.
At the end of the day, when the Scout camp came to an end, the Future Knights of the Round Table gave the loudest round of applause to the scientists from Wetlab.
Each year, Galena High School hosts a Career Fair for its sophomore students. The goal of the career fair is to expose students to the possibilities and realities of a successful career path. Sophomores are invited because 10th grade is often the point at which they begin looking into colleges and potential career interests. Professionals from various backgrounds participate as speakers, teaching kids about their jobs including education, how they got to where they are, volunteer service, the importance of networking and more.
Starting the day early at Galena High School, our group set up displays. We had pamphlets with pictures of the lab, a beaker filled with concentrated beet juice and an Erlenmeyer flask with diluted beet juice to show a small portion of lab processes. Most importantly, we had the WETLAB mascot, a Labrador, with its personal protective gear on to demonstrate the importance of safety and to show that science can be fun. These items provided visuals for the kids and were used during our presentations. We engaged the students by asking questions about their own interests and discussing how there are many different and exciting careers in the scientific field.
The first groups of students did not have many questions, but had a genuine interest in a diverse range of careers in the scientific community. The later groups were more vocal and asked questions ranging from work hours, how often we dealt with the public and the amount of technology available to work with. We hope we sparked some interest and motivation in the children that are our future.
We presented to six groups of sophomore students for 20 minutes each. We talked about what WETLAB does and why our business is so important. Most students seemed fairly knowledgeable about water quality and the need for testing in Nevada, as well as locally here in the Truckee Basin. Each of us discussed our education and work history as well as provided suggestions for volunteering and networking. With different backgrounds and career paths, the students got to hear our individual perspectives and learn about the unique experiences that led us to our current careers. This helped to emphasize that there is more than one way to find an interesting and fulfilling career if you follow your passion. While we all had varying messages, the resonating theme was to stick with your studies, despite the challenges, because in the end, a career in science is very rewarding.
While it will be a few years before these kids enter the workforce, their desire for a career in science and the level of interest is encouraging. Our industry has a promising future if we continue to feed young minds and encourage them, teaching them how to deal with challenges and overcome obstacles to pursue what is important to them. Hopefully, networking in a more intimate setting plants the seed that will inspire them to grow toward their goals, prepare for higher education and gain crucial career experience.
We believe that no one in the world should go hungry. In order to do something about that as a company, we volunteer once per month at the the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Our efforts help fuel the Food Bank’s mission to end hunger in the region through direct services, advocacy, outreach and education. Our entire office heads down to the Food Bank to support this effort.
We’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves and coordinate a team effort to separate and pack boxes that are distributed to the FBNN’s partner agencies that serve the needy, ill and elderly, as well as thousands of children. In one trip, we can pack and seal up to 500 boxes.
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada’s donations are delivered to a number of local outlets and programs, including emergency food pantries and senior meal programs, low-income day care centers, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, family and domestic violence shelters and various youth programs. Those organizations offer bags of groceries, meals or snacks to those in need. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada’s service area is more than 90,000 square miles. We are incredibly proud to support their efforts and help our community stay nourished and healthy.
Snapshot Day isn’t a WETLAB photo shoot. It’s an annual Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee River Watershed citizen-monitoring event. Launched back in 2000, Snapshot Day is designed to promote environmental education and stewardship while also collecting valuable water quality information. Snapshot Day takes place at locations throughout the Lake Tahoe and Truckee River Watersheds.
During Snapshot Day, we work with students and other volunteers to field-test streams, collect discrete water samples for nutrient analysis, and educate participants on protecting and improving the watershed in their own backyard. The data collected helps provide a “snapshot” of water quality and stream conditions all throughout the region.
It’s truly a great opportunity to learn about your local watershed and get more involved in a great locally-driven environmental event. Snapshot Day is run by volunteers, but spearheaded by the Tahoe-Truckee Clean Water team and sponsored by local environmental and water-focused agencies, including WETLAB. Our participation as a sponsor and team dates back to 2009 and we’re proud to support the program and its commitment to protecting the watershed in our community.
We want to encourage kids to explore and discover using science and experimentation. That’s why for the past two years our WETLAB team in Elko, headed by Andrew Porter, has volunteered to run a science-oriented station for Eastern Nevada Cub Scout troops at Spring Creek High School.
Andrew grew up as a curious Cub Scout and is still involved with the Boy Scouts as the highest ranking Eagle Scout. In addition, several of the Elko employees have little ones in the Scout programs.
This year, he participated in the annual Boy Scouts day camp. With over 100 scouts from around Eastern Nevada, Andrew conducted fingerprinting with the kids for the CSI-themed day. It was a rewarding experience, allowing Andy and WETLAB to not only volunteer with the scouts, but pass on a love of science and get kids excited about it.
It was a pleasure to take our love for man’s best friend and use it to get some exercise while supporting an organization so close to our hearts, The Nevada Humane Society. In May 2013, several WETLAB team members approached Michelle about participating in the two-mile Walk for Animals.
We raised $1,268 before the event and Michelle was happy to match that amount as a gift from WETLAB. The walk took place at the Sparks Marina and we all brought our leashed friends to participate in the walk and other pet-friendly activities. The money we raised went to serve the more than 10,000 homeless animals in the area!
