McCain Memorial Fund Supports Women and Children’s Shelter

Representatives of Union Gospel Mission, 3 Rivers Community Foundation, and Val McCain's family

Today 3 Rivers Community Foundation (3RCF) delivered more than $30,000 raised by the Valerie McCain Memorial Fund to the Union Gospel Mission for its capital campaign to build a new women and children’s shelter in Kennewick.

The fund was established in honor of former Bechtel Senior Vice President Valerie McCain, who passed away in March of this year at age 53. She led the Department of Energy’s Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant project for Bechtel for four years after a distinguished career with the company.

Friends and colleagues from across the United States contributed to the fund in her memory.

McCain’s family asked that the Union Gospel Mission receive the funds given her strong beliefs and passion for helping those in need, in particular families.

“We are humbled to have been selected to receive this gift and in honor of such an incredible woman and leader,” said Director Andrew Porter. “The new facility is gravely needed to ensure that women and their children can be together in a safe shelter as they recover and rebuild their lives.”

The mission has raised $1.5 million for its $9.5 million capital campaign to build a new facility in Kennewick. The current space used for women and children in Pasco can’t accommodate the growing need, is over 100 years old, lacks private space for meeting with counselors, and is in an area with higher crime rates not safe for children.

The new women and children’s building will include apartments for women with children; classrooms for programs and training; indoor and outdoor safe play space for children; and office space for counseling. Contributions to the capital campaign can be made online.
 
“We are grateful for the Foundation’s support in establishing this fund in honor of my mom,” said Natalie McCain. “The donation to the Union Gospel Mission will ensure that her legacy of compassion, grit, and generosity lives on. Our family has been overwhelmed with the impact she had on so many in the Tri-Cities community and around the world at other Bechtel offices and projects.”
 
McCain joined Bechtel in 1990, starting as an environmental scientist and cost engineer, and managed projects such as the Uranium Processing Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the modernization of a 60-year-old aluminum smelter in Canada. McCain joined WTP in October 2018 and led the team of 2,250 employees in completing all construction for the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste facility; transitioning to commissioning and ramping up the commissioning workforce; shifting to a 24/7 operational culture; and nearing heatup of the melter, which occurred in June.

About the Organizations
The Mission provides support for basic physical needs (food, shelter, showers, clothes) to men, women and children experiencing a crisis; addresses the underlying causes of homelessness and poverty while establishing healthy patterns of living; and supports residents as they transition back into society and establish themselves in the workplace.

3RCF creates opportunities for perpetual charitable giving in Benton and Franklin counties to support nonprofits now and in the future.

Bechtel is a trusted engineering, construction and project management partner to industry and government. The company celebrated its 125th anniversary this year. It has been a member of the Tri-Cities community for nearly 40 years, and is designing, building, and commissioning WTP for DOE.