Seeing and responding to a need led to a celebratory event on Feb. 18 at Lomax Junior High School, where a "Partner in Education Program" was kicked off with announced plans for a volunteer educational mentoring program and the donation of two laptop and 10 desktop computers.  Air Products, a local industrial gas and technology supplier, agreed to establish a volunteer educational volunteer mentoring program with Lomax Junior High designed to support students and also provided two computer systems to individuals selected by school staff and 10 computers for the school.

Air Products made a commitment to provide volunteers to mentor students for the rest of the school year.  It is the company and the school's intention for the mentoring to become an annual program at Lomax Junior High. In addition, Air Products plans on continuing to offer the school other programs such as Liquid Nitrogen (LIN) demonstrations, tours of its facilities and other opportunities to broaden and strengthen the relationship between the two.

The 10 donated desktop computers will be used at Lomax for a computer lab that is utilized by both teachers and students. The two laptop computer recipients, selected by the Lomax staff, were presented by Lomax principal Stephanie Cox to teacher Tina Imme and student Katie Brown.

Imme teaches seventh-grade language arts at Lomax.  As with many local residents, Hurricane Ike destroyed Imme's home, and she was living with family until recently when she moved into a travel trailer in her old drive way while she reconstructs her home. 

Imme did not allow the storm to diminish her own spirit of giving.  After the storm, she began and continues to provide for an adolescent child who did not have any family, even after her own personal loss.  When asked for one of the reasons why the school staff chose Imme to receive the donated laptop, Cox replied, "She comes to work each day with a smile and positive attitude to give to her children."

Katie Brown is a seventh grade student at Lomax.  Katie was living in Shoreacres when Hurricane Ike destroyed her home as well.  Katie had to change schools from La Porte Junior High to Lomax, which required a move away from her home and friends.  When asked why the staff chose Katie to receive the laptop, Cox replied, "Katie is a great student with a positive attitude.  She works hard and always wants to do well, and she volunteers often to help others." 

"We have a longstanding tradition of supporting and helping our communities where we live and work. We realize that Air Products' continued growth and success is closely tied to the vitality of these communities, and the quality of the community's educational system is key to the skills of our employee workforce. We need healthy communities to operate a healthy business. But most importantly, we are committed to our communities because it is clearly the right thing to do," said Dave Hefele, regional operations manager for Air Products.

Alton Porter, mayor of La Porte stated, "I am very pleased with the continued involvement and investment in our community by Air Products. They have long been an active valued part of our community through a number of vehicles. They are a great partner in our La Porte Education Foundation, our La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce, and are very active working directly with our schools. We are very fortunate to have the tremendous industry support throughout our community but Air Products in particular has an outstanding reputation for their active, valued contributions. This donation of computers to two very worthy recipients who were both victims of Hurricane Ike is especially heartwarming. Our community took a serious hit from Ike but we have all pulled together and become stronger because of it. This is a great community and a great place to call home and I am very proud to have Air Products as a neighbor and good friend."

Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia said of the donation, "This sort of commitment to education is so important at any time.  Since Hurricane Ike though, Air Products' commitment to our community stands out even more.  I applaud both student and teacher who represent the student body and faculty and their high standards of education."

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment.