• Hundreds of elderly residents in Vernal, Utah, including many who are homebound, recently received basic necessities and gifts, home-delivered by community volunteers.
• Financial and volunteer support from Marathon Petroleum’s midstream component, MPLX, helps make these deliveries and other charitable activities possible.
• Assisting Vernal’s elderly population has been a staple of MPLX’s local outreach for six years.

“Many of them were overcome with emotion and gratitude. The joy and happiness our short visit brought was indescribable.” This is how Jeremy Catron summarized his recent experience helping elderly residents in Vernal, Utah, and the surrounding Uinta Basin with almost a dozen co-workers from Marathon Petroleum’s midstream component, MPLX. The group joined other community volunteers in delivering food, basic amenities and gift baskets to the residences of 500 senior citizens, including many who are homebound.

“It was evident that these visits were likely the only ones they have had, or would receive, for some time,” said Catron, a senior right-of-way specialist in the Rockies South District of MPLX’s Gathering and Processing (G&P) segment.

“We had no idea about the magnitude of the need that was right here in our own small community. It’s immensely impactful to our employees and very humbling at the same time.”

Supporting the elderly population has become a staple of G&P’s outreach in Vernal. Financial contributions assist the Meals on Wheels program in providing basic daily meals to seniors throughout the year. Food and gift deliveries to homes, like the recent effort involving 500 recipients, occur during the holidays and pair employees with groups from other area organizations to sort and load items on buses and vans for distribution. G&P’s involvement all began six years ago after an employee heard a radio announcement about gathering donations for senior citizens.

“At that time, we had no idea about the magnitude of the need that was right here in our own small community,” G&P Operational Manager Stan Harrison said.

Since then, community investment has expanded to involve financial and volunteer assistance for several non-profits, including the Ashley Valley Food Bank, a branch of the Utah Children’s Justice Center Program and Friends Against Family Violence. Whether serving these causes or senior citizens in need, Harrison suggested G&P teams have created local connections that aren’t likely to dissolve anytime soon.

“It’s immensely impactful to our employees and very humbling at the same time,” said Harrison. “Every employee that has ever participated has truly enjoyed the experience.”