Other Community Work
Kettleman City Sports
- The WM Kettleman Hills Facility staff maintains the Kettleman City sports field year round. The field is open to the community and is used most for soccer and baseball games. We also sponsor Kettleman City Little League teams.
Kings Community Action Organization
WM and Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO) have collaborated to bring high-value services to the residents of Kettleman City. Last year WM KHF donated $50,000 to KCAO to facilitate their grant application to the State Department of Agriculture. The WM grant helped KCAO secure a $150,000 grant from the state to support future services such as a computer lab and after-school tutoring; youth and adult job training; evening and daytime distance learning college classes; pregnant and parenting teen support services; utility assistance services; childcare assistance programs; and healthy marriage classes. (KCAO, with assurances from US Department of AG, has delayed construction of the Opportunity Center because they have taken over the YMCA’s duties on operating the Resource and Community Center.)
- In addition to the $50,000 donation, KHF assisted KCAO with the development of the future Opportunity Center by donating roll off bins and free disposal of debris from a demolished building.
Kettleman City Community Resources Center
WM supports the Community Resources Center by sponsoring awards for special events such as, an Easter egg hunt, Healthy Kids Day and Christmas giveaways. WM has also paid for transportation needed for youth activities.
Kettleman City Foundation
- The Kettleman City Foundation was created as part of a legal settlement. WM agreed to donate 25 cents for each ton of municipal waste disposed into landfill B-19; and one dollar for each ton of TSCA-regulated waste disposed at the site. The money helps with the construction and maintenance of the Kettleman City Community Center, which provides services to low-income families and children.
- Since 1998, payments to the Kettleman City Foundation have totaled more than $800,000.
Kettleman City Fire Department
- A portion of the revenues WM pays to Kings County are used to fund the Kettleman City Fire Department.
- KHF funded the retrofit of one of the local Station 9 fire engines to a water truck to use on wild land fires.
- KHF also donated funds needed for asbestos removal from a building used as a training burn for Kings County Fire Fighters.
- KHF has a team of trained First Responders at the site who provide on-call assistance to the local Station 9 Fire Department.
Kettleman City Sheriff’s Department
- The KHF has supported the following events sponsored by the Sheriff’s Department:
- National Night Out
- Movie Night in the Park.
- Toys for Tots Christmas event, which provides toys for all children in Kettleman City.
- Field trips for youth
- Explorers program.
General Community Giving
- Our community relations team helped organize the annual Fiestas Patrias (Mexican Independence Day) event. Each year, local food and crafts vendors sell their wares, dance troupes and ethnic bands perform, and a local princess is crowned at the event attended by approximately 500 people.
- Each year, the Kettleman Hills Facility team donates approximately 70 food baskets during the Christmas holidays to Kettleman City and Avenal families pre-selected by the Reef Sunset School District officials.