Giving Back to the Community

Air Products sponsored the My Dreams Foundation Christmas Carnival 2024 in LaPlace, Louisiana. The Foundation focuses on empowering dreams and changing the lives of persons living with a disability. The carnival hosted more than 900 visitors and helped them ring in the holiday season. 

Last Fall, Air Products was one of the sponsors of the Biz Tech Challenge, which is a competition that showcases the power of creativity and collaboration in STEM-based fields, donating $15,000 to help support the event. The BizTech Challenge from Nexus Louisiana works to increase innovation and entrepreneurship in STEM-based fields amongst students attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). This comprehensive hands-on learning and mentorship program aims to build innovation ecosystems between university administrators, faculty, and students, and the public and private sector.

A $50,000 grant from the Air Products Foundation to Livingston Parish will help the Maurepas School rebuild its greenhouse, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ida in 2021. Randy Delatte, Livingston Parish President, said, “Air Products’ donation will be a critical part of rebuilding this important landmark for the current, former and future students at the Maurepas School. We appreciate the support from the Air Products Foundation.”

Air Products has donated $160,000 through its Lake Maurepas Community Fund to the Tangipahoa Economic Development Foundation to support projects to reduce litter and beautify Tangipahoa Parish. The grant will specifically support several litter and recycling efforts through the Osprey Initiative. The projects include maintaining two “litter gitters” in the waterways of Tangipahoa Parish, clean ups in Ponchatoula Creek, litter tactical sweeps along Hwy 51 Manchac Greenway, and the development of a litter education program for the Tangipahoa schools.

The Pilot Club of Denham Springs recently installed all-inclusive playground equipment at the Maurepas School in Livingston Parish, thanks to a $85,000 donation from the Air Products Foundation. 

At the end of the year, Air Products employees in Louisiana collected five boxes of toys to make the holidays brighter for children in need through the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. The effort was organized as a community giving project of Air Products' Veterans Employee Resource Group.

The Air Products Foundation has donated $25,000 to From My Heart To Yours in Laplace, Louisiana, to support its ongoing afterschool programs, including tutoring, homework assistance, meals and a STEM field trip to Turtle Cove Research Station in Lake Maurepas. As part of the funding, students in the FMHTY students participated in an overnight trip over the Christmas holidays. 

Air Products team members in Louisiana presented a check for $200,000 from the Lake Maurepas Community Fund to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation for a grant to fund field trips to Turtle Cove Research Station. This will mean teachers in Livingston, St. John the Baptist and Tangipahoa parishes can take their classes on field trips to Lake Maurepas for free, including the cost of refreshments and transportation. The Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station is run by Southeastern Louisiana University and located in the wetlands on Pass Manchac, a natural pass that connects Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas. 

The Air Products Foundation has donated $75,000 to the St. John United Way for its hurricane recovery efforts following Hurricane Francine, which affected Louisiana in September 2024.

The funding will go through the United Way to the New Wine Development Corporation, which provides community support and assistance in St. John parish following major natural disasters, ensuring that no members of the community is left behind. 

Air Products employees in Louisiana participated in the Go Red for Women event hosted by the Louisiana Chapter of the American Heart Association, which raised awareness and funds for women’s heart health initiatives. Since 2004, the American Heart Association’s signature women's initiative, Go Red for Women, has addressed the awareness and clinical care gaps of women’s greatest health threat, cardiovascular disease.

Campers from New Wine Christian Fellowship’s summer camp participated in an educational field trip to the Turtle Cove Research Station in Lake Maurepas. The campers learned about the different types of wildlife and fish in Lake Maurepas and how planting cypress trees can help lessen the loss of wetlands in the area. The campers took a boat ride to the Turtle Cove Research Station and were given life jackets to keep. Campers who were too young to go to Turtle Cove were able to visit the nearby zoo to learn about animals instead. Air Products’ Lake Maurepas Community Fund covered the cost of both field trips, transportation and lunches for the campers.

Air Products’ team joined Keep Livingston Beautiful and Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte at its end-of-the-year meeting to present a check for $135,000 from the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund to help with its mission to support the parish’s ongoing effort to keep public spaces in Livingston Parish well maintained and litter-free while reducing waste and also supporting recycling. Specific funding will cover beautification and landscaping, educational outreach to elementary-aged children to break the cycle of litter, and support for the Parish’s existing litter abatement program, which is run with the 21st Judicial District Court and the Sheriff’s office.

Air Products team members in Louisiana joined the leadership of River Parishes Community College for a check presentation of $280,000 from the Air Products Foundation to support a suite of impactful programs aimed at advancing academic, workforce development, and community engagement initiatives. This generous contribution will fuel three key initiatives designed to enhance talent development, improve community relations, and create lasting positive change in underrepresented communities. 

Baton Rouge-area Air Products employees participated in a day of service to kick of 2025 at the Baton Rouge Food Bank, packing food for 2,400 kids through the organization’s backpack project and packaging more than 15,000 pounds of beverages. The company also donated $5,000 to support the Food Bank’s ongoing efforts to serve families in need in 11 parishes across the region.

Air Products served as the title sponsor of the 2024-2025 Bass Tournament Series for St. Michael High School. The event encourages fishing in Louisiana and helps instill a lifelong love of the outdoors in younger outdoor enthusiasts.

Air Products was proud to sponsor the 49th Annual Andouille Festival in St. John the Baptist parish. Louisiana is home to some of the best cuisine in the world and the festival allowed locals to celebrate the vibrant local culture.

Air Products employees joined our industry partners to give out backpacks and other school supplies through Blessed to Be A Blessing. Thanks to Air Products’ partnership, Blessed to Be A Blessing was able to hand out 900 backpacks to children before they returned to the school year in St. John the Baptist parish.

Air Products team members participated in the Battle for the Paddle, which benefits the St. Charles United Way. For the first time ever, our team members won third place for their jambalaya. Air Products team members also cooked pastalaya and gumbo as part of the event, which raises money to support United Way charities that serve St. Charles parish. A fun (and tasty!) time was had by all! 

Air Products was proud to be a sponsor of River Parishes Community College’s manufacturing day in Reserve, which allowed students from St. John parish to learn about jobs in industrial manufacturing. Our team members enjoyed explaining what we do at Air Products and answering questions about carbon capture and sequestration. 

Team members from Air Products’ Louisiana Clean Energy Complex and our existing Louisiana facilities participated in the Ascension Parish Public Schools College and Career Fair to talk to high school students and their parents about careers with Air Products. The team also explained the science behind carbon capture and storage to future scientists and engineers. The Louisiana Clean Energy Complex will create 2,000 construction jobs during construction and 170 permanent jobs with an average salary of $93,000 when operational.

Air Products sponspored the Launch Therapy Center's Keys to Excellence a Black and White Soiree, which helped raise a record $122,000 to help exceptional children lead exceptional lives in Livingston parish. Our crew had a great time at the gala and Air Products is proud to be the first donors to Launch’s capital campaign. 

Air Products employees were proud to present a donation to the River Road African American Museum in September. The $175,000 donation will support the revitalization and preservation of the True Friends Benevolent Society Hall. In celebration of the Hall’s heritage, the True Friends Benevolent Society Hall will soon house a new music hall of fame and academy.

Air Products employees who work at various facilities in South Louisiana recently joined volunteers from local organizations in St. John the Baptist parish to hand out food bags to families with school-aged children in LaPlace, Louisiana. In total, the company’s $35,000 donation and volunteer work helped feed 400 local families who may be struggling this summer with increased food and childcare costs.

Working with the Sheriff, District Attorney and School Board from St. John the Baptist parish government and the local community service organization Blessed to Be A Blessing, Air Products employees packaged food that including bread, milk, cereal and canned goods.   Families also received a Walmart gift card.

Air Products employees joined researchers from Southeastern Louisiana University in May 2024 to plant cypress trees at the Turtle Cove Research Center on Lake Maurepas and to learn about the importance of tree planting to preserving Louisiana’s wetlands. Air Products is supporting a significant independent research effort at SLU, which includes planting 2,000 cypress saplings each year for three years to help create and strengthen marshland in the Lake Maurepas area.

Air Products employees brought an educational demonstration to fourth and fifth graders as part of Teach For America Greater Baton Rouge’s STEM Demonstration Day at Lowery Elementary School in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. In addition to operating a facility in nearby Convent, Air Products is constructing its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex nearby and took the opportunity to explain how hydrogen is an important gas to our everyday lives. The students learned about permeability of rocks and how carbon dioxide can be safely stored more than a mile below the Earth’s surface.

The Outreach Team from the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex and Air Products employees in Louisiana participated in the St. John the Baptist parish job fair, where they explained open opportunities with Air Products, future construction jobs related to its new clean hydrogen project in Darrow, Louisiana, and answered questions about our work at our existing 18 Louisiana facilities. The construction of the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex will create 2,000 temporary jobs and, when the facility is onstream, it will create 170 permanent jobs. The company also has openings at existing Louisiana facilities.

Air Products officials joined Mayor Nic Hunter and Calcasieu Parish School Board Superintendent Dr. Shannon LaFargue to tour the Louisiana Region 5 STEM Center’s Future Engineers Program in the City of Lakes Charles. Air Products is supporting the center through a $25,000 donation for curriculum development and the provision of necessary supplies for student success.

Air Products is proud to make the first donation to the capital campaign for the Launch Therapy Center, which is a nonprofit that serves hundreds of exceptional needs children in Livingston parish.

The Air Products Foundation provided a $250,000 grant to expand Launch’s ability to serve children and families of Livingston parish. Chantelle Varnado and the Launch team have a proven track record of success and meaningful assistance to families. Air Products is proud to support the organization’s future growth.

Supporting the future Farmers in Ascension Parish

Air Products was proud to sponsor the 2024 Ascension Parish Livestock Show in January, where young people were able to show off the commitment and dedication it takes to raise livestock. We were happy to partner with local 4-H Clubs and the LSU Ag Center to support this worthy cause. We’re also proud to have Air Products’ employees’ family members participate and place in the show.

During the 2023 holiday season, Air Products employees and contractors from Trade Construction, Triad Construction and Petrin Construction working to restart the company’s hydrogen plant in Convent collected and donated $10,000 to the Baton Rouge Food Bank to help families in need in nearby Donaldsonville. The employees originally hoped to buy around $1,000 worth of food and ended up collecting enough money to make a sizable donation. Todd Holcomb, Air Products Construction Field Superintendent said, “By making this donation to the Baton Rouge Food Bank, we can multiply the power of our funds to help even more families in the Donaldsonville area. We truly are a community of workers giving back to the community in need.”

Air Products employees gathered for a meeting in Lake Charles teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana to make sure area youth are taken care of. Out teams was happy to build bikes and donate them to middle school and high school youth in all six parishes so they have transportation to school, their jobs, and within their neighborhoods. In addition, Air Products also donated money to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Big Defender fund through our Lake Maurepas Community Fund.

In addition to collecting and donating supplies and toys for the Iris Domestic Violence Center, Air Products’ Louisiana team members volunteered their time to help the center organize, clean and prepare a space where children, teenagers and their families can feel safe and supported during trying times.

Air Products’ Louisiana-based employees volunteer at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, which serves an 11-parish area in Louisiana. The company is a sponsor of the Food Bank and volunteers participated by packing food for the organization’s Backpack Program, which provides food to children and families in need.

Three teams of Air Products’ employees in Louisiana competed in Battle for the Paddle, a cook-off competition that celebrates Louisiana cuisine while raising money for the United Way United Way of St. Charles.