Commitment to the Communities We Touch
TOTE Maritime Alaska, formerly Totem Ocean Trailer Express, is a part of the Saltchuk Family of companies. They have been keeping Alaska supplied for nearly 45 years by cargo fleet shipments twice weekly from Tacoma, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. But shipping is about more than reliable delivery, it’s about people.
The TOTE team is dedicated to efficiency, integrity, exceeding customer expectations, and meeting community needs. At the same time, they are equally committed to the happiness and wellness of their employees—currently they have 35 employees working in Alaska. TOTE seeks to support key initiatives in Alaska and Washington, focusing on four areas: Safety, Environment, Community, Health & Wellness.
TOTE’s aim is to strengthen the communities in which their employees live and to serve through strong relationships. Included in their giving commitment is a strategy to support and promote employee engagement through volunteer opportunities with non-profit partners, such as Food Bank of Alaska, Camp Fire Alaska, and Covenant House Alaska. TOTE has been supporting Alaskan communities since they began serving our state by donating at least 1% of all yearly earnings. Additionally, TOTE donates millions of dollars per year through in-kind shipments to non-profit organizations. Not only does TOTE engage in monetary giving, individual employees also donate time, energy, and their expertise.
Grace Greene, President of TOTE Maritime Alaska, serves as a board member of Covenant House Alaska and Alex Hofeling, VP and Alaska General Manager, is a mentor to youth in our transitional living program, Rights of Passage. Both of them have participated in our Sleep Out: Executive Edition, raising money for youth and showing their solidarity and support by sleeping outside in the cold of November. Over the years, TOTE volunteers have helped support Covenant House by assembling furniture for young women and children in our Passage House program and joining together with their customers during the United Way Day of Caring to plant flowers and help with landscaping.
“One of the most important things to our company is giving back to the communities that we serve,” Greene says, “We really take pride in that.” TOTE believes in the mission of Covenant House Alaska because, “Safety is at the forefront of everything we do at TOTE. Supporting Covenant House means that our local youth have a safe place to call home and it provides them with resources to improve their living situation so that they can become independent and successful.”
If your organization would like to know more about how to become a cornerstone sponsor of Covenant House Alaska, please contact Chief Development Officer, Joe Hemphill, at jhemphill@covenanthouseak.org
