Skip to main content
Photo from left to right; Team Leader Eli Rivera, homeowner David Marcotte, Volunteers Rick Treiss and Bruce Grover
North Country Environmental Services (NCES), a subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems, Inc., joined together with Team Rubicon, a national veteran-based disaster relief organization, to help one local veteran clean up his collapsed deck.
David Marcotte, a disabled veteran who lives in Bethlehem, N.H., was put in touch with Eli Rivera of Team Rubicon after reaching out to NH Veteran Services. Rivera was then able to work with fellow veteran and Team Rubicon volunteer, Bruce Grover, who is operations manager at NCES to facilitate the cleanup along with NCES General Manager, Kevin Roy.
According to Roy, NCES was able to coordinate and donate the delivery, tonnage, and pick-up of a 30-yard dumpster to handle the cleanup for Marcotte. “For us to be able to use our resources to help a disabled veteran who physically couldn’t clean up the debris, and also couldn’t afford the disposal, feels like such a small thing when compared to his service to us.”
For Marcotte and his wife, Debbie, it made a big difference to have the cleanup finished with winter approaching. “It’s a great weight off my shoulders, and from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank Casella for donating the dumpster and assisting Team Rubicon to make this possible. Casella is more than just a business, they want to help,” Marcotte said.
Marcotte himself is no stranger to giving back, serving as director of the Azimuth Check Foundation, a local veterans’ organization that works to offer challenging outdoor activities and camaraderie to injured warriors through adaptive sports programs in the North Country. Azimuth check is a commonly used military term meaning to “verify your direction of travel” and the foundation’s central mission is to “help heroes find their way.”
As an organization, Casella is committed to partnering with Team Rubicon throughout New England. “We have a lot of veterans here in the North Country and throughout our company,” Roy said. “Bruce has a been a great influence here at NCES and his commitment to service is very much in line with our company culture.”
According to Rivera there are over 5,000 Team Rubicon volunteers throughout New England with around 1,200 in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine but the rural nature of those states can hinder the number of volunteers locally for smaller projects like this one. “There is just as much of a need for assistance in the local community as there is in other parts of the world.”
ABOUT AZIMUTH CHECK FOUNDATION:
Our core belief is that participation in challenging outdoor physical activities creates wellness in an atmosphere of camaraderie. Azimuth Check Foundation accomplishes this by providing challenging year-round athletic events with established adaptive sports organizations throughout New England and across the United States. Azimuth Check Foundation aggressively supports these activities by partnering with New England Disabled Sports (NEDS), Veterans Adaptive Sports and Training (VAST), Adaptive Sports of the North Country (ASPNC), Ability Plus Adaptive Sports, Northeast Passage, and many more. Click here for more information.
ABOUT TEAM RUBICON:
Team Rubicon’s mission is providing disaster relief to those affected by natural disasters, be they domestic or international. By pairing the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders, medical professionals, and technology solutions, Team Rubicon aims to provide the greatest service and impact possible. Click here for more information.