Community Volunteer Awards

2023 Honoree

Western Contract

Sagan Electric

Distinguished Community Business Partner

Western Contract and Sagan Electric

January’s epic storms took a heavy toll on the lifeline that is the Rancho Cordova Food Locker. The aging portable building sprung leaks and the water poured in. In the aftermath, it was discovered that the building had suffered substantial damage and water-logged walls and floors needed work. Furniture and equipment had to go.

As the clouds cleared, two Rancho Cordova businesses came through with unexpected generosity to get the Food Locker back on the front lines of fighting hunger.

Bill Yee has been CEO of Western Contract, an office furniture and workspace design firm, for more than 30 years. Bill was named the Most Admired CEO in 2022 and for good reason. He has a long reach, including serving on the board of directors for Capital Public Radio. When he heard about the Food Locker’s plight, he knew he had to do something and partnered with Director of Sales and Marketing Teri Chrisanty to act.

Timing is everything, and it just happened that Western Contract, a longtime icon on Folsom Boulevard, was preparing to move to a new showroom and had a lot of furniture that needed to find a new home. The call for help from the Food Locker provided an excellent solution.

Working with Food Locker executive director Carrie Johnson, Western Contract packed up and delivered more than $60,000 worth of new office furniture to get the Food Locker back into operation. The donation included tables, chairs, desks, work and reception stations – everything needed to get the Food Locker back to service, plus furniture that will be needed when the Food Locker makes an eventual move to a new location.

This exceptional gift to the Food Locker will free up dollars to meet the Food Locker’s core mission of feeding hungry people while at the same time providing the upgraded workplace for employees and stellar volunteers that honors the importance of their work.

But in those soggy days after the storms cleared, new furniture was not all that was needed. Coming to the rescue to restore and update out of date and damaged electrical systems was Sagan Electric, located on Kilgore Road in Rancho Cordova.

Sagan sent a team of electricians who spent a day installing new outlets and performing other electrical miracles. At the end of the day, Owner Visiliy Sagan, sent this text:

“Thank you and everyone keeping the Food Locker running. We will not be charging for any work done today at the Food Locker. Thanks again for helping the needy, especially our Ukrainian/Russian refugees and friends.”

You see, Visiliy Sagan was born in Ukraine and moved to Sacramento at a young age. After spending many years working as an electrician for a union, he decided to venture out on his own and established Sagan Electric – a local electrical company that prides itself in offering superior electrical services to the community. Though his business was only begun in 2019, Visiliy and his team found an important way to give back to the community, serving the most needy, including fellow immigrants and refugees from the war in Ukraine.

Bill, Teri and Visiliy are outstanding examples of how business leadership can not only lead to commercial success but can also address important local needs. While it may be enough for a business to provide good jobs that support workers’ families and a great product for their customers, these two businesses demonstrated that when you work from the heart you can do so much more.

The Rancho Cordova Food Locker is back in business feeding the hungry of our community, thanks to the quick response and generosity of two businesses – one old and one new – in doing what they could to restore one of Rancho Cordova’s most important life links. 

Congratulations and thank you to Western Contract and Sagan Electric -- our 2023 Distinguished Community Business Partners.