Operation Outreach in Bingen and Hood River
By Lori Roach
Insitu hosted Operation Outreach in February at the Waucoma facility in Hood River, OR and at the Eagle Point Building Lobby in Bingen, WA.
Attendees were able to visit with and learn about the more than 20 non-profits who were there showcasing their organizations.
“February is our largest employee driven fund raising campaign,” said Community Relations Coordinator Kip Miller. “In years past we have invited non-profits to come in so our employees can learn about them, but this year we decided to open it up to the public, so they too can learn about these organizations. It’s a great win for the community, because not only does it raise funds, but it also raises awareness.”
Insitu was founded in 1994 by Engineers Ted McGeer and Andy von Flotow in a garage in Bingen, Washington. The headquarters remain in Bingen to this day. Insitu now has in excess of 1,600 employees, with locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Australia, and the UK.
“Our employees are really active in the community,” said Miller.
According to Miller there are 225 active volunteers in the Bingen Insitu facility. The employees support education, veterans and STEM, as well as many other local events and organization.
“Our volunteer program has really grown. Our employees want to give back to the community,” said Jill Vacek “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Organizations that were represented at Operation Outreach included Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Foundation, Back Packs 4 Kids, Columbia Gorge Stem Hub, Skyline Foundation, Gorge Technology Alliance, CASA, Mt. Adams Transportation Service, Hood River County Christmas Project, WSV PTO, Hood River Shelter Services, SMART (Start Making a Reader Today), The Next Door, Northshore Community Foundation, Hood River Adopt A Dog, White Salmon Valley Education Foundation, WGAP, United Way, HRATS, GO! Gorge Owned, Gorge MakerSpace, Klickitat County, and Columbia Center for the Arts.
Insitu is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company and is a pioneer in the design, development, production and operation of performance, cost-effective unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
