Marathon Petroleum: MPC volunteers bring new life to Los Angeles elementary school

Employee and contractor volunteers from Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery have brought new life to a 112-year old elementary school after recently completing their second beautification project at the campus. This effort was an extension of a similar initiative shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

More than 120 volunteers from the refinery spent two days at Wilmington Park Elementary School refurbishing the cafeteria, auditorium, teacher’s lounge, foyer, several stairwells and a large common area. They applied fresh paint and made other improvements to the interior, including installing electronic message screens in some areas.

“This project was very important to us because the school is a close neighbor,” said Maintenance Manager Les Davis, whose team members planned, coordinated, and executed the event. “One of our larger refinery units can be seen from the school playground, so the school is a vivid reminder of our responsibility to support and protect our community.”

Some school district board members stopped by the school while the work was taking place to thank everyone involved and express interest in developing a continuing partnership with Marathon. This effort’s success added to the progress from the first phase of the project, which focused on painting the hallways in the school’s main building.

“The dedication and hard work of our volunteers put the finishing touches on the school, providing a thorough transformation that sets it up for a long time to come,” Davis said.