ARUP and Its Employees Give Two Truckloads of Donations to Refugee Families Resettling in Utah

For the second year in a row, ARUP Laboratories and its employees have supported refugee families resettling in Utah as part of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) Light One Candle initiative. ARUP assisted 15 families, which included 109 men, women, and children from countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Syria, and Venezuela. Most of the families arrived in Utah in Spring 2024.

Each family received a new smart TV and a refurbished laptop, which are essential for adapting to a new language and culture. Employee donations exceeded expectations, as ARUP was able to fulfill the requests on the families’ wish lists with everything from socks to sewing machines, cookware, toiletries, and toys, as well as nearly $5,000 in gift cards for groceries and other essentials. In all, ARUP filled the IRC’s box truck twice, impressing the IRC partners.

“We are incredibly grateful for the efforts of ARUP to provide these families with much needed supplies and other wish list gifts this holiday season. Thank you,” the IRC wrote on Facebook.

“It’s great to see the generosity of our employees, and we are glad we can give back to our community in this way,” said Andy Theurer, ARUP CEO.

The IRC is one of ARUP’s ambassador charities and is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development organization working in 40 countries and 29 cities in the United States to provide emergency aid and long-term assistance to individuals displaced by war, persecution, or natural disasters. Comprising first responders, humanitarian relief workers, international development experts, and healthcare providers, the IRC focuses on health, education, economic well-being, and safety worldwide.

ARUP’s Employee Advisory Council selects ambassador charities to receive employees’ annual charitable contributions, and new selections are made every two years. Council members include individuals honored with Employee of the Month or Supervisor of the Quarter awards, and the council serves as an internal consulting group for ARUP leadership by offering feedback on company policies, programs, and events. ARUP’s other ambassador charities include the Utah STEM Foundation, which seeks to produce a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-competitive workforce, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Learn more about the IRC in Salt Lake City here.

Bonnie Stray, bonnie.stray@aruplab.com