NEW ORLEANS (press release) — International non-governmental organization Team Rubicon has announced a $100,000 investment by Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit in the proposed TRades Academy.
“We are grateful for the support of Chevron and this investment into our new TRades Academy,” said Art delaCruz, CEO of Team Rubicon. “This grant enables us to build and execute this program, allowing Team Rubicon to aid communities and speed recovery after disasters through workforce development in the skilled trades so critical to rebuilding.”
The country continues to witness a critical shortage of credentialed contractors with the skills required to provide homeowners with efficient and high-quality rebuild and repair services.
Team Rubicon’s mission to support communities before, during, and after disasters and crises continues to be negatively impacted by this shortage. Team Rubicon is keen to address the shortage and serve more communities in need by establishing the TRades Academy with the support of partners like Chevron.
The TRades Academy program is set to address this shortage by providing veterans and civilians with trade skills including contracting, electrical, plumbing, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning through the Long Term Recovery Program to then use within their own communities.
The Academy is set to enable Team Rubicon to begin significantly scaling rebuild operations by the end of 2025, while providing students the credentials and field experience needed to become certified contractors in their own communities.
“For years, we’ve worked side-by-side with Team Rubicon to help those most in need,” said Leah Brown, public affairs manager of Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. “We’re proud to continue to support them as they help our neighbors who have been affected by disasters restore hope and recover. Team Rubicon’s mission to bring equitable relief before, during, and after a disaster has made a real difference in communities across the Gulf Coast — and around the world. We thank them for their partnership.”
Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit has been investing in Team Rubicon since 2020, granting a total of nearly $1 million for responses to Hurricanes Laura, Ida, and Ian.
Year after year, Chevron generously supports Team Rubicon’s resilience and response work in the Gulf, particularly in Texas and Louisiana. Their grants have funded volunteer training programs and immediate disaster relief work across the Gulf region.
Now, after years of partnership, Chevron is pivoting to support a new TR initiative.
Team Rubicon has been in the long-term recovery space for half a decade, launching seven rebuild operations for communities struggling to recover from disasters since our pilot rebuild operation first launched in Houston following Hurricane Harvey. To date, our teams have rebuilt more than 500 roofs and 200 homes for vulnerable families and individuals from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
The humanitarian organization continues to successfully identify homeowners struggling the most to recover from disasters and provide the necessary rebuild and repair services to restore the safety and health of their homes.