Marathon Oil’s 2020 Social Investments Support First Responders and COVID-19 Response in North Dakota

Since Marathon Oil began operating in the Bakken in 2006, we’ve had a longstanding tradition of giving back to the communities where we live and work, and 2020 was no different. Despite a year of uncertainty, we remained committed to building healthier, safer, stronger, and more resilient communities by supporting local organizations, especially those on the front lines of COVID-19 response.

At the onset of the pandemic, Marathon Oil donated emergency relief funds to both the Great Plains Food Bank and the Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT) to support families facing food insecurity. In 2020, the number of people seeking assistance at food pantries throughout the state grew by 44% and by 79% at the Great Plains Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry distributions, which are supported by Marathon Oil.

Our investment supplied 24,200 pounds of fruit and vegetables directly to hungry children and their families living in western North Dakota who sought emergency food assistance. “The funding we received from Marathon Oil was crucial in our efforts to respond to this sky-rocketing need,” said Marcia Paulson, Chief Development Officer for the Great Plains Food Bank.

In addition to providing an in-kind PPE donation to the North Dakota Department of Health, we provided $75,000 to first responder organizations in Dunn and Mountrail counties. The investments supported:

• Killdeer Ambulance Service’s purchase of new computers to allow for better locating capabilities for 911 calls from rural areas and isolated industrial sites,
  
• New Town Ambulance Service’s four-year extension of a service contract for its cardiac monitors, defibulators and CPR devices to allow for continued high-level cardiac care throughout its 75-mile service area, including the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, and
  
• West Dunn Fire Protection District’s purchase of updated extrication tools.

We also continued our support of local school systems, the Boys and Girls Club of TAT, and the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center in Dickinson.

As we move into a new year, we look forward to continuing to partner with local organizations and stakeholders to design and implement programs that improve quality of life for members of the Bakken community.