Giving Back is Central to Our Way of Life and Business

J.T. McDermott’s ties to the medical community are close and personal. Not only have a few employees had heart disease and/or heart attacks, Josh’s mom is a physician and his wife a nurse. We’ve also come to know quite a few doctors in the community by working on their homes. The nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization, the American Heart Association is dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Its mission is to improve the lives of all Americans, helping them understand the importance of healthy lifestyle choices.

Josh McDermott has a real passion for entrepreneurship and a deep appreciation for the real-life examples this organization provides students. He gives his time as a mentor, helping the community’s high school students immerse themselves in life-learning experiences that equip them to be enterprising individuals and entrepreneurial thinkers. Mentees learn how to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes.

Though he loved the work, one of the main reasons Josh McDermott left the corporate world was for the opportunity to give directly back to his community in a more intimate way. He was introduced to the Belleville Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by two clients who were also family and parish friends. This wonderful organization is dedicated to helping the poor of Southern Illinois, with its members committed to fighting hunger, homelessness, and poverty; reaching out to offer assistance with utilities, rent, food, clothing, automobile, gas, medical, prescriptions; and many other personal needs.

Many team members at J.T. McDermott grew up with and have pets today. As a dog lover, Josh believes in what this group does for the community and attends and donates to its big yearly fundraiser. The Belleville Area Humane Society provides temporary care to homeless companion animals and finds them loving homes. Donations help them to keep the shelter safe, healthy, and comfortable for animals, teach the community to properly care for their companion animals, and raise adoption rates.

Kindercottage was established in 1965 as a not-for-profit agency and today provides services to children ages 2-5 years, including those with special needs, who live in East St. Louis, one of the poorest communities in the country. J.T. McDermott got involved through Dean Huston, our production manager, who took over the “Ken’s Cans” project when the founder passed away. As the day care receives no state funding, Dean collects aluminum from local businesses (including ours), schools, and churches, with proceeds from the sales going to this and one other charity. This year Dean and Casey organized a Christmas clothing drive and we used our Facebook page to help spread the word. The community, as always, came through!

Thanks to hard work and the support of our community, J.T. McDermott has been truly blessed. One of the ways we give thanks is by asking “How can we help?” We’ve found that one of the best ways is through lending our skills and time to those who need a hand in our community. Other worthwhile organizations we support include the Shrine Circus Fund, the Hoyleton Ministries, Allison's Hope Foundation, the St. Clair County Sherrif's Drug Education for Children and the Children's Dyslexia Foundation.

For 5 of the last 8 years, Art on the Square in Belleville has been ranked the #1 fine arts show in the nation by The Art Fair Source Book. Each year, J.T. McDermott donates to the setup and takedown of the show, and in 2016 we built and donated the arbor that will be used for this and future years’ shows. A juried fair featuring more than 100 artists, over the past several years more than a million dollars of art has been purchased. Proof, as some say, that Belleville puts on a “gem of a show where they do everything right.”

As remodelers we believe in the preservation and continued use of architecturally significant structures in the area. The St. Clair County Historical Society is part of a legacy of preservation, education and community outreach that goes back more than 100 years.

4-H is for all boys, girls, young men & women, ages 5-19 with activities and opportunities to meet new friends, develop interests & hobbies, increase self-confidence, enjoy group activities, serve the community and much more! Casey Bivens, our Client Services Administrator, has a daughter who is active in the organization as well as the local farming and horse show community.

Since 1959, Camp Ondessonk, located in the Shawnee National Forest, has provided children and children-at-heart the opportunity to experience first-hand the beauty of God’s creation. Its summer camp programs provide an experience that encourages campers to have fun, grow spiritually, make friends, grow in self-confidence and self-esteem, and develop values that include stewardship of God’s gifts, personal development and leadership, building community, adventure and fun, conscientious use of resources, honoring tradition, embracing innovation, and respect for all.

The Junior Service Club of St. Clair County is an organization of women volunteers who provide financial support for various charitable organizations throughout St. Clair County. Josh’s wife, Victoria, is an active member of this organization. In additional to financial support, the group serves the community through service hours, donations of food and clothing, including some of those listed here.

Since 1979, the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois has worked to eliminate domestic violence in individual lives and society as a whole. It provides comprehensive services of DV victims and their children, including a crisis hotline, emergency shelter, legal advocacy, and counseling. J.T. McDermott’s ties to the VPCSI go way back. Founder Tim McDermott served on the organization’s board for many years and the entire family helped out cooking for and working at the annual fundraiser event, Just Desserts. We believe strongly in what the organization does, which is to help women and families in abusive relationships.