P1 Connection April 2022

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P1 CONNECTION April 2022 HOME

CARING FOR OUR

COMMUNITIES

What’s in a Name? Don Pardew Gives the Gift of Respect to Kansas City’s Street Communities “I HAVE A NAME”. This simple yet profound philosophy is at the heart of Facility Maintenance Plumber Don Pardew’s ministry to local street and houseless communities in Kansas City. “When someone asks if they can give you a hug, or they light up because you remembered their name, and maybe something personal, like their shoe size, that’s what makes it all worthwhile,” Don said. Don is part of P1 Group’s Facility Maintenance Operations team at the University of Kansas Health System (KU Med) at the main hospital

campus in Kansas City, KS. Don came to work for P1 when it was still ADJ-Hux (AD Jacobson and Huxtable) as a plumber. But, with a college degree in art and psychology, he decided to take a break from facility work to get more into residential design and run his own business. After his kids were grown, the unpredictability and endless paperwork of being in business for yourself became more than it was worth. So Don returned to his

roots as a pipefitter, and re-joined the union through a former P1 co-worker. Today, Don works for the HVAC and plumbing team at the main KU med campus, and the surrounding buildings, including Cambridge Tower, Heart Building, Medical Office Building, Rehab, and the Strawberry Hill location. “I enjoy this work because we have a fantastic team here,” Don said. “The HVAC and plumbing experts work so well together to keep things on track every day.” One winter night, Don was having trouble sleeping, so he turned on the TV and diverted his attention between that and prayer, something he says helps him on those sleepless nights. “It dawned on me, hey, I’m nice and warm here, but there are a lot of people out there who are not,” he recalled.


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