L3Harris launches companywide volunteer initiative, continuing legacy of giving

Dave Berman
Florida Today
About 500 local employees of L3Harris Technologies Inc. packed 7,000 food kits for the Second Harvest Food Bank on Veterans Day. Among the participants were, from left, retired Army Spc. Tanya Earwood; L3Harris Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Brown; and retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Delta Burke.

One of Brevard County's largest employers — Melbourne-based L3Harris Technologies Inc. — this week launched a new companywide volunteer initiative.

L3Harris Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Brown said the "L3Harris Investing For Tomorrow" initiative — also known as LIFT — integrates volunteer initiatives from the former Harris Corp. and L3 Technologies. Those companies completed their merger on June 29.

The aerospace and defense technology company L3Harris has 50,000 employees worldwide, including 8,400 working at 40 Florida locations. Of those, about 8,000 are based in Brevard County.

Harris, along with its employees, historically has been one of Brevard County's largest supporters of charities and other nonprofit organizations. For example, Harris and its employees ranked first in donations to the United Way of Brevard's last fundraising campaign, with a total contribution of $1.35 million. Harris contributions to the United Way of Brevard totaled $17 million during past 15 years.

The company also pledged $1 million toward the renovation of the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts on Eastern Florida State College's Melbourne campus.

Brown called the LIFT initiative "a single, robust platform focused on supporting STEM education, mission aligned and community organizations." STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.

The program kicked off in Brevard County on Veterans Day, when more than 500 local L3Harris employees assembled 7,000 food packs for Second Harvest of Central Florida, which will give children in the community nutritious food. That volunteer effort took place at the L3Harris High-Technology Center in Palm Bay.

More:Merger complete between Harris, L3, with plans to expand local workforce

More:King Center main theater named for L3Harris after $1 million donation

As part of the effort, L3Harris employees also wrote a total of 500 letters and postcards to members of the military.

The local Harris employees were among 3,000 L3Harris employees nationwide who assembled more than 30,000 support packages, including care kits for veterans; thank you notes to active military and first responders; meal kits for students; and hygiene kits for senior citizens.

In commenting on the timing of the project to coincide with Veterans Day, Brown said in a statement: “We owe a tremendous debt to our nation’s veterans, including 6,500 at L3Harris, for serving our country and protecting the freedoms we all cherish. It is only appropriate that we launch our LIFT service initiative on Veterans Day in their honor.”

The company said LIFT strengthens and extends L3Harris’ legacy of philanthropy by providing a platform on which employees can easily participate in volunteer events, as well as focus their efforts on causes where that have the greatest impact supporting organizations that are most in need.

The LIFT initiative features an online portal that helps match employees with organizations in need.

LIFT projects will include STEM mentoring, disaster relief, Habitat for Humanity home-building, veteran and first-responder support initiatives, supply drives and packing events. 

Dave Berman is government editor at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649

or dberman@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @bydaveberman