How This #futureshaper Celebrates Community at Work

“Tight-knit.”

That’s how Kevin Valenzuela, a materials handler, describes the bonds he’s formed at a Honeywell distribution center in El Paso, Texas, where he is part of a team that helps manage materials used to develop solutions for our building technologies business.

Kevin, a member of our Hispanic Employee Network, is passionate about bringing people together – which is why he plays a big role in organizing activities to commemorate holidays and recognize employees celebrating career anniversaries at the El Paso facility, which has a rich Hispanic heritage.

“It’s important to me that I truly get to know the people I work with,” Kevin said.

We asked this #futureshaper a few questions to get to know how he celebrates Hispanic heritage and why community is important at work:

What are some events that made this Hispanic Heritage Month meaningful for you?

“As a facility, we hosted a food drive that supported food banks in El Paso so we could give back to the community as a team. We also hosted a Mexican Independence Day celebration where employees enjoyed traditional foods and relaxed with one another.”

What is special about celebrating Hispanic heritage with your colleagues?

“The thing most exciting to me is getting to know different people and feeling connected with one another. At our site alone, we have people of many different cultures, so I feel lucky to get to know their traditions and bond over shared experiences.”

How do you think the events you help organize help foster a unique community?

“Distribution centers are large, but here, I feel that we are all bonded in some way. I can tell that from spending time together talking about our families and cultures, it’s helped us communicate better and foster trust on the job.”

Kevin added: “The community here means a lot to me because this is my second family. It’s a great feeling to be excited to come to work.”

Learn more about how our eight employee networks, which aim to foster collaboration and belonging through professional development opportunities, local community outreach and other activities.