PHOENIX, Arizona — On July 26, Burns & McDonnell interns in Phoenix donated more than 100,000 water bottles to the Phoenix Rescue Mission to help combat dehydration in the extreme Phoenix heat.

With giving back being a core element of the Burns & McDonnell culture, students were asked to coordinate and complete a community service project as part of their internship program. Since 2012, Burns & McDonnell interns have raised funds and collected donations for one of the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s most vital necessities: water. To date, interns have collected and donated more than 400,000 total bottles of water.

“Giving back to our communities is a part of who we are at Burns & McDonnell,” said Patrick Edwards, vice president and general manager for Burns & McDonnell in Phoenix. “For the past five years, our interns have focused their volunteer efforts with the Phoenix Rescue Mission. Through this experience, the interns get a glimpse into the Burns & McDonnell culture and learn skills in teamwork, planning, and most importantly, the value and corporate responsibility of giving back.”

The Phoenix Rescue Mission provides hope, healing and new beginnings for men, women and children in the community struggling with homelessness, addiction and trauma. During the sweltering summer months, “Code:Red” months, water is in extreme demand.

• An investigation conducted by the Arizona Republic revealed that an expanding urban heat island is creating blistering temperatures across Maricopa County.
• There are now six more weeks of days with triple-digit temperatures compared to a century ago.
• In Arizona, an average of 118 people die every year from excessive heat. In the past two years, there were 155 (2017) and 182 (2018) heat deaths in Maricopa County, setting new records. The danger disproportionately targets Phoenix's most vulnerable populations: seniors, those with disabilities and the homeless.

The firm has more than 50 offices across the globe, including more than 100 employees working in offices in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. This year, Burns & McDonnell was named Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Design Firm of the Year in the Southwest region, which encompasses Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of 7,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune’s 2019 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For.