November 26, 2023
John Deere
, Moline, Ill., is committed to matching donations, up to a total of $100,000, made to the Construction Angels nonprofit organization from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023. Construction Angels offers critical support when tragedy strikes, providing financial assistance, grief counseling services and long-term scholarship funding to family members left behind when a construction worker dies on the job site.
“John Deere is humbled to provide support to Construction Angels,” said Jason Daly, vice president, earthmoving sales, marketing & customer success, John Deere. “This contribution will enable continuity for family members who have lost a construction worker.”
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), on average 4.5 construction employees are killed in a typical workday in the U.S. In addition, approximately 20 percent of all job-site deaths in the U.S. occur in the construction industry. The founder of Construction Angels, Kristi Gibbs, has dedicated her life to providing a support system in the moments when tragedy strikes.
“In this business, you never know what might happen,” said Gibbs. “You never know what could cause an accident. Safety is our No. 1 goal in construction. We try to anticipate any different type of construction issue that might occur on the job site and prepare for it. But there are accidents that happen that we cannot prepare for.”
When tragic construction-related fatalities occur, Construction Angels provides immediate financial assistance and grief counseling to the spouse and children who are left behind. Gibbs, who represents the third generation of an Ohio family that worked in the asphalt business, knew from a young age that she wanted to work in construction. She was previously employed at a concrete-cutting company in 2009 when she crossed paths with a family in need, resulting in the founding of the Construction Angels organization. In addition to grief counseling and financial support, a scholarship fund created by the nonprofit helps ensure children who lost a parent will still have the financial means to pursue higher education.
Construction Angels is currently providing support in 24 states nationwide and is aiming to expand its assistance to all 50 states by 2030. Gibbs added, “working with these dealerships has really helped us move ahead, and partnering with companies like John Deere has given us some national exposure and helped us grow.”
