Summer 2012 - Barriere Construction

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t he united way–hurric a ne is a ac rec ov e r y In the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac, we would like to make you aware of some of the services that are available to you and your loved ones through The United Way, and how you can help with the recovery. NEED HELP? Dial 2-1-1 for information on nonemergency services, such as shelters, food, counseling, and more. The 2-1-1 Call Center counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide crisis counseling, information, and referrals for help with food, shelter, medical care, financial assistance, counseling programs, substance abuse treatment, childcare, etc. 2-1-1 agencies work in concert with city, parish, and state governments, as well as other organizations, to provide disaster-related information. Whether the disaster is a hurricane, flood, fire, etc., the 2-1-1 Call Center is ready to respond. 1 2 HOW YOUR UNITED WAY IS HELPING: United Way and 2-1-1 have provided critical safety and referral information to the citizens of Louisiana, and they are currently working with the American Red Cross to assist in relief efforts, through coordinated response to immediate needs and muchneeded financial resources. United Way of Southeast Louisiana serves Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes. WANT TO HELP? United Way appreciates that many of you have reached out, asking how you can help. Here are some suggestions for action: GIVE. We all know that this will be a long and expensive recovery for many of our neighbors, and financial resources will be needed for services, both immediate and long-term. The most effective way for us to assist United Way in the recovery effort is to continue to support Barriere’s annual United Way employee campaign. In addition to working with numerous partners on immediate needs, such as food and water, United Way is also working on long-term recovery efforts to address the needs of the hundreds of families who have lost their homes. VOLUNTEER. If you would like to volunteer, United Way has recently partnered with HandsOn New Orleans—an organization which provides service opportunities for citizens in the New Orleans community. HandsOn New Orleans provides worthwhile and effective volunteer options. If you are interested in a volunteer opportunity, please contact Mr. Peyton Juneau, United Way’s in-house representative, at (504) 827-6892. ADVOCATE. You can also be of assistance to United Way by sharing this information with your family and friends. Please help spread the word that United Way is here to respond to the immediate and long-term needs of our community and its citizens in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. As always, your continued support is critical to United Way’s success. If you know someone seeking help, ask the person to call 2-1-1 (or 1-800-749- 2673), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This free, confidential service links people who need help with more than 3,100 local health and human service programs. Barriere’s Heavy Civil Construction Division is collecting donations for the local people affected by Hurricane Isaac. If you have any items you would like to donate, please send them to the Belle Chasse Office, 1610 Barriere Road, Belle Chasse, and we will donate them to the local Red Cross for distribution. Thank you for your help.
e n e é m o r g a n p r o m o t e d t o f o r e m a n by Peter A. Wilson, Jr., Field Intern, North Shore Asphalt On Friday, August 17, 2012, Reneé Morgan was promoted from Heavy Operator to Foreman. While the promotion signifies the internal advancement of a skilled and hardworking employee, Ms. Morgan will also be Barriere’s first female Foreman. “Barriere is certainly one of the best companies to work for. I’ve been treated equal from Day 1. But, being a woman who works in construction is not like sitting at home, cooking and cleaning. It takes determination and willpower,” Ms. Morgan says. Raising two boys and a girl, she has certainly proved that it is possible. One of her sons, Brandon, now works for Barriere after returning from his tour of duty as a Marine in Operation Iraqi Freedom. “In the morning, I would call my daughter from work to make sure she was awake to make the bus on time. It’s tough coming home after work with young kids; feeding them, making sure they bathe, and then going to sleep before their bedtime. You never can let anybody get you down. You have to hold your head up high and be proud of what you do.” Ms. Morgan began working as a flagger for Mike Seal 16 years ago. Three years later, she was promoted to a groundsman for 5 years before eventually becoming an operator. She served as an operator, mostly on Danny Walker’s crew before his promotion to Superintendent, before her promotion to Foreman. “Everything I know about being a flagger, groundsman, and operator I learned from Barriere and the people I worked with along the way, especially James Easley. I’ve made a lot of good friends at Barriere and have really enjoyed seeing things being built from the ground up.” During her time at Barriere, Ms. Morgan certainly has seen many employees come and go. “If I could give some advice to a new employee, I would tell them that you cannot always start at the ABOVE PEtEr WilSOn, Sr., cOnGrAtulAtES rEnEé MOrGAn On hEr PrOMOtiOn. top. Sometimes, you have to learn from the bottom and work your way to the top. It’s especially hard during the first 6 months,” she says. “An employee who is going to succeed is somebody who is willing to jump into any situation to help, ask questions, and is easy going. You have to sit back and watch sometimes, but you also have to pull your weight when asked. A new employee who is not going to make it is somebody who is over-confident, attempts everything on their own, and never helps anybody else out.” There is no doubt Ms. Morgan has had to overcome her fair share of difficult times. “There have been times when I was on the back of a rubbertire backhoe in the freezing cold, driving down from one end of a job to the other, and all I wanted to do was go home and jump into the bathtub to thaw out. I felt like, no matter what, I couldn’t put enough jackets and layers on to keep warm. I couldn’t feel my fingers, ears, or toes, and thought they must have gone ahead and fallen off,” she says. “But, at the end of a long day like that, you just make it. Not everybody can do it, but, if you’re determined, you can make it.” Well, Ms. Morgan made it. She made it from Flagger to Groundsman, Groundsman to Operator, and, now, Operator to Foreman. While her promotion certainly marks the noteworthy occasion of the company’s first woman Foreman; perhaps the greater story is of her own determination and willpower to advance through the ranks of the company. Perhaps that is something we all can learn from. Please join us in congratulating Ms. Morgan on her promotion. 1 3
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Summer 2012 - Barriere Construction

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