The A. O. Smith Foundation, has donated a total of $300,000 to two organizations in Milwaukee and Nashville in honor of the company’s 150^th anniversary. The Milwaukee Rescue Mission was presented with $150,000 to support its Cross Trainers Academy, a school dedicated to providing at-risk children with a well-rounded, Christian-based education. It also donated $150,000 to the Community Resource Center in Nashville, which provides essential hygiene items to Middle Tennessee citizens during times of disaster and seasons of ongoing need.

The two charities were chosen to receive these major gifts as they support communities where A. O. Smith has a significant history and presence. The company’s world headquarters is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its largest United States manufacturing facility is in Ashland City, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. A. O. Smith is built on five values, and one emphasizes the need to give back to key communities where A. O. Smith lives and works in lasting and meaningful ways that demonstrate the company’s value of being a good citizen. 

 “It is an honor and a privilege to make these donations to organizations that positively impact our communities and improve the lives of those who live there,” said Kevin Wheeler, A. O. Smith chairman and CEO. “These gifts support two worthy organizations, and we want to give back in a significant way to assist the men, women and children who benefit from them.”

Cross Trainers Academy in Milwaukee, operated by the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, opened in 2006 and has more than 500 students in pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade. The school focuses on strong academic achievements, especially in the areas of reading, math, science and the trades. They will use the donation to purchase Chromebooks, laptops, projectors and Chromebooks carts, along with a commercial washer and dryer for the facility.

For 35 years, the Community Resource Center (CRC) of Nashville has been a supply line to those facing poverty. More than 300 non-profit agencies across nine counties in Middle Tennessee rely on the CRC to provide thousands of hygiene and cleaning kits throughout the year. This donation will allow the organization to purchase a van to assist with the delivery of products, upgrade its warehouse management software (including installation, customization and training), and purchase pallet racks for the warehouse.

 “We are proud of the work these organizations have done in our communities,” said Wheeler. “Milwaukee and Nashville would not be the same without the Milwaukee Rescue Mission and the Community Resource Center, and we are dedicated to helping keep their missions alive.”