Mission 500, a charitable organization engaging security professionals to sponsor needy children through the World Vision organization, announced the winners of its annual Humanitarian and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) awards. The award is designed to honor companies in the security industry who make important contributions to those in need.

The two awards will be presented on April 11, 2013 at ISC West. The presentation will be at 5:00 pm, at the Security 5K reception in the concourse area adjacent to the Expo hall entrance of the Sands Convention Center. All are welcome. 

Systems integrator Convergint Technologies is being honored with the 2013 Mission 500 CSR award. Convergint Technologies was built on a solid foundation of values and beliefs. One of these values, “they believe in balanced lives,” supports their belief that it is important for all of us to balance our time, energy, and commitments across our families, our business, and our communities.

In support of this value, each year, Convergint colleagues across North America go into their communities and contribute to those in need. Convergint Social Responsibility Day is officially celebrated on or about June 18th of each year. They have contributed to more than 120 different organizations since 2002. On Convergint day 2012 alone they donated over $730,000 in their colleagues’ time, material and services.

Colleagues are deeply involved in initiatives, whether company-wide, office specific, or on an individual basis. Individual donations are also matched up to $500. This year, a team of 31 U.S. and Canadian Convergint colleagues partnered with Poured-Out Inc. (www.poured-out.org) spending 5 days in Haiti building a school/church, installing 47 residential water filters and large industrial filters for three orphanages. This now provides 4,110 gallons of clean water per day, supporting the daily water requirements for more than 800 Haitians.

This was all made possible through the team's fundraising within Convergint and from friends and family. The donations funded travel and living expenses for the team, buildings materials for the school/church, 47 residential water filters, 3 industrial water filters and employment of 22 Haitian constructions workers and 6 translators. In 2012 they raised $110,000 for this project, effectively transforming this Haitian community. Their matching donations program also generated $77,300 in 2012.

Michael Keegan is the recipient of the 2013 Mission 500 Humanitarian award. The purpose of the Mission 500 Humanitarian Award is to honor individuals in the security industry who make important contributions to those in need.

Keegan has been involved in the security industry for more than 27 years; currently, he serves as the vice president of the board of directors for Teton Youth and Family Services (TYFS) in Jackson, Wyoming. For the past three years, he has organized and spearheaded a golf tournament that unites the community and raises more than $35,000 each year for the TYFS programs. The mission of Teton Youth and Family Services is to improve children’s lives by providing services ranging from prevention to residential care that address behavioral, emotional, and/or mental health issues.

TYFS has been serving children and their families since 1977. They have helped hundreds of young people stay out of trouble and hundreds more find their way out. They operate three entities in Teton County: 

Van Vleck House (http://tetonyouth.org/van-vleck-house/): Programs range from offerings that help all children stay out of trouble, to programs for youth involved in the juvenile court system.

Hirschfield Center for Children (http://tetonyouth.org/hirschfield-center/): Helps children avoid behavioral, emotional and mental health problems by strengthening families and working to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Red Top Meadows (http://tetonyouth.org/red-top-meadows/): Provides residential treatment and therapeutic wilderness programs for adolescent males with behavioral, emotional and/or mental health issues.

In addition to his contribution to TYFS, Keegan traveled to Favorito, Cuba this past December as part of a small group from his local church, St John’s Episcopal, that met with Cuban community leaders and their local youth group to begin the construction of a new community center/chapel. For numerous years, Keegan volunteered as a coach and simultaneously served on the Board of Directors of Jackson Hole Youth Baseball.  Additionally, when he owned Watchguard Security Systems, Keegan designed a security system for a proposed shelter for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. After bidding on the job and meeting with the Community Safety Network board, Mike was so moved by their mission that he committed, right then and there, to donate a very elaborate system that retailed in excess of $40,000.