Welcome to “The Good Stuff,” where we highlight positive news and ways that NAED employees and member companies go above and beyond to give back to their communities! If you have some “Good Stuff” that you would like to share with tED, find out how below.
In this issue of The Good Stuff, dozens of IDEAL Electrical employees and electrical professionals volunteered with Rebuilding Together to install modern electrical systems in a Chicagoland Boys & Girls Club, giving back to local children in need.
SYCAMORE, Ill. – IDEAL Electrical organized a community give-back day on July 17 alongside national nonprofit Rebuilding Together that brought together more than 50 volunteers – including IDEAL employees, professional electricians, and the IDEAL Electrical network of electrical influencers – to provide crucial electrical upgrades and other work for the Little Village Boys & Girls Club of Chicago. In addition to the volunteer day, the IDEAL Industries Foundation donated $150,000 to Rebuilding Together to support the organization’s mission to repair homes at no cost for those in need and revitalize communities across the nation.
“We are delighted to partner with Rebuilding Together for a cause that is deeply aligned with our values of good corporate citizenship,” said Nicole Juday, Executive Director of the IDEAL Industries Foundation. “With our headquarters located in the Chicagoland suburbs and our deep, century-long roots in the electrical trade, this event was a meaningful way to give back to our community and to use our strong connections with electricians to create positive impact.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago organizes purposeful after-school activities with the mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Their Little Village location in western Chicago was in urgent need of electrical upgrades and facility improvements.
IDEAL Electrical employees, social media electrician influencers, and local Chicago-based electricians volunteered on July 17 to supply the needed renovations and labor. The electricians replaced outdated panels, light switches, and wall receptacles and installed modern equipment using IDEAL Electrical products. Through various posts and videos, the influencers in attendance encouraged their combined ~1.3 million followers to participate in similar efforts to impact their local communities.
In the meantime, the non-electrician volunteers spread fresh mulch in the outdoor playground, planted flowers, and painted a colorful mural in the club’s hallway. Together, the improvements provided the club’s families and children with refreshed exterior landscaping and modernized electrical systems.
“We could not be more excited to provide this vital work to the Little Village Boys & Girls Club,” said Wanda Ramirez, CEO of Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago. “Through this partnership with IDEAL Electrical, we are truly making an impact on children in the local Chicagoland community.”
The volunteer day was a highlight of this year’s IDEAL Connections VIP event, held from July 16-19, 2025 in Chicago, Ill. The VIP event brought together electrical influencers from across North America for meaningful connection, education, and celebration.
“Our VIP event is one way we can give back to the electricians that power our world,” said IDEAL Industries, Inc. CEO Steve Henn. “From volunteering in the community to celebrating the trades, this event highlights who we are as a company and the kind of future we want to help create.”
Both the $150,000 donation and volunteer project are part of IDEAL Connections, a company-wide initiative to foster meaningful relationships with IDEAL Electrical customers and the local community. Through a focused effort on trade school product donations, community volunteering, electrical training events, and more, the program is designed to leave a lasting impact on the electrical industry – and the communities electricians serve.
Guadalupe Delgado, Program Director of the Little Village Boys & Girls Club, reflected on the day’s volunteer efforts and their impact on her organization’s future.
“The work of this club can really impact a child’s life,” said Guadalupe Delgado. “Thanks to IDEAL Electrical and the Rebuilding Together volunteers, we will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of our youth and their families.”
In continued partnership with Rebuilding Together, IDEAL Electrical plans to host another electrical volunteer event in September 2025. IDEAL Electrical remains committed to building stronger connections, both with wires and with people.
Find more “Good Stuff” articles here on tEDmag.com.
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