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Worldwide Month of Service
october is month of service
Alcoa employees will assist some 400 community and not-for-profit organisations around Australia during this year's Month of Service.
October is Alcoa’s annual ‘Worldwide Month of Service’ – a time when we encourage employee volunteerism and celebrate our volunteering heroes. In 2008, nearly 40 per cent of Alcoa’s Australian workforce participated and we’re aiming for even higher numbers this year.
Our packed event schedule includes busy-bees at local schools, helping at a dog shelter, gardening around aged care facilities, tidying the grounds of St John Ambulance locations, and tree planting activities with Alcoa’s core climate change partner Greening Australia – and much, much, more.
“Running strong volunteer programs is the crux of a strong connection between business and community – it’s the best way to find solutions together, share knowledge, and simply help each other,” Managing Director Alan Cransberg said.
“The world we live in today cries out for more community spirit and person-to-person support and Alcoa enjoys playing its part in that.
“Our people clearly share this view, because each year we see our volunteer numbers grow – it’s fantastic and makes me exceptionally proud.
“Especially as we travel through the economic downturn, volunteering and supporting our communities in the way they want to be supported is more important than ever.”
Throughout the 2008 calendar year, Alcoa employees donated more than 90,000 hours of their time to make a real and lasting difference to their communities – that’s equivalent to over 10 and a half years.
“We believe we have a responsibility to help build and strengthen our communities, and getting thousands of our people out and about, getting their hands dirty, does make a difference,” Mr Cransberg said.
This month, volunteering events are being held around the world in over 200 Alcoa communities, in 33 countries.
But it’s not just in October when our people make a difference. The efforts of Alcoans are supported all year round by the Alcoa Foundation which matches employee volunteer hours with financial grants to not-for-profit organisations. The Foundation’s signature volunteering programs ACTION and Bravo! generated a total of US$308,000 in Australian community funding throughout 2008.
This October, Alcoa employees from all locations are taking part - the corporate head office at Booragoon, Perth, WA’s Peel Regional Office in Pinjarra, Kwinana Refinery, Pinjarra Refinery, Wagerup Refinery, Huntly Mine and Willowdale Mine, Victoria’s Point Henry smelter & rolling operations, Anglesea Power Station, Portland Aluminium, and NSW’s Yennora recycling facility and rolling operation.
Below, we celebrate our amazing volunteers … please read on.
alcoans help YMCA camp in anglesea
Volunteers from Alcoa Anglesea in Victoria have helped the local YMCA Recreation Camp to create an organic recycling and education centre.
A group of Alcoans first supported the Camp by helping to construct vegetable beds, pathways between garden beds and a fence around the whole area back in December 2008. Thanks to this terrific effort, the group was able to secure financial support from the Alcoa Foundation via an ACTION grant.
In line with the Camp’s goal to become more sustainable, the US$3000 ACTION grant was put towards the development of the Organic Recycling & Education Centre.
The Centre comprises a chicken house, worm farm, a composting facility, and vegetable and herb garden that helps the camp reduce waste, while also educating and inspiring campers to be actively involved in creating a more sustainable campsite.
Camp Manager, Vicki Chrzanowski, said she’s thrilled with the Organic Recycling & Education Centre.
“Alcoa’s contribution to this project has been significant and we thank everyone involved very much.
“What started out as an initiative to reduce our waste has more than exceeded our original aims. We have been able to reduce our waste by about two-thirds and the project has provided us with fantastic community strengthening opportunities.”
portland district health gets a helping hand
A team of employees from Portland Aluminium donned the lycra earlier this year, to again take part in a local cycling event - the Murray to Moyne – helping to raise money for hospitals and health care organisaitons in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
The ride kicked off from Mildura in the first weekend of April, and finished at Port Fairy – essentially travelling from the top to the bottom of Victoria. The challenge was for relay teams to cover the distance within 24 hours.
The Portland Aluminium Cycling Team* (PACT) joined more than 1400 riders, representing 150 organisations – together raising over $1.25 million. PACT raised more than $5,000 which was donated to the Portland District Hospital.
PACT ambassador, Det Sonnenschmidt, said the generosity of employees is impressive: “Every year, our workmates have come to recognise when it’s Murray to Moyne time, but it never ceases to amaze me how generous they continue to be year after year.”
“It may have quite a bit to do with an instilled community conscience that I think a lot of people have when they see that the beneficiary of their donations and sponsorship is a hospital in their own backyard.”
Portland Aluminium employees have been taking part in the event since 1991.
* PACT was Andrew Brough, Ian Marshall, Brendan McMahon, Colin Grime, Peter Hol, Michael Johnson, Peter Bell, Colin Mowatt and Paul Davey - ably supported by crew Geoff Trezise, Darryl Raneberg, Kay Collins and Mike Leech.
lifesaving volunteers in western australia
For more than three years, the Port Bouvard Surf Lifesaving Club at Pyramid Beach in Western Australia has received assistance from Alcoa employees Shawn Wenn and Vonny Leeson.
Shawn Wenn, of our Wagerup Refinery, volunteers with the Dawesville Ducks Swimming club. Shawn spends some of his spare time teaching children about water safety, surf awareness, teamwork and surf sports competition.
“I enjoy the opportunity to help and encourage kids. It’s rewarding watching children that could not swim before, joining the club and become confident in the water,” Shawn said.
Shawn received a Bravo! grant form the Alcoa Foundation this year which has been put towards new surf life saving equipment.
Vonny Lesson, based at Alcoa’s Peel Regional Office in Pinjarra, said she joined as a volunteer due to the club’s family-friendly atmosphere.
“Lifesavers are as Aussie as Vegemite and form an integral part of the wonderful outdoor life fostered by many of us. Supporting such an iconic organisation and promoting a safe outdoor lifestyle, in a family environment, is a cause worth helping.”
Vonny assists with the training of juniors on a Sunday morning which includes flag races, water awareness and first aid.
“Our children spend lots of time at the beach and in water and it’s great for them to learn about the ocean, rips and general water safety.”
She now also helps the Club’s committee with fund raising activities, registration and administration.
“To see the development of leadership skills in youth, and see children as young as five feeling confident and enjoying themselves in a safe water environment is really positive,” Vonny said.
pinjarra employees committed to community
The West Murray Fire Brigade near Pinjarra in Western Australia recently celebrated the official opening of its new building extensions.
The opening followed volunteer hours from Alcoa employees during our Month of Service in 2008.
In October 2008, Alcoa’s Australian Executives worked on the extensions – along with employees from Central Crane and Transport, operators from our Pinjarra Refinery, volunteers from the Brigade and local community.
“The team of volunteers painting the walls, doors and ceilings of the fire station, they completed paving down the side of the new extensions, and installed cupboards, benches and a mezzanine floor which is now used as a storage area,” said Brigade member Rusty Wilson.
“The volunteers completed the work in just one day which, without them, would have taken us three weeks!
“The US$3,000 grant we received from the Alcoa Foundation was a welcome addition to our budget.”
Meantime, hockey was the sport of the day for Alcoa employees when they joined together earlier this year with members of the Pinjarra Hockey Club to improve the Club’s playing infrastructure.
A group of Alcoans from the Pinjarra Refinery made temporary repairs to the hockey goals to keep them useable, while the Club’s new aluminium goals were being fabricated.
The Alcoa team subsequently received an US$3,000 ACTION grant to donate to the Club.
our people make play area safer
The Anglesea and District Community House (ADCH) has received a boost thanks to the help of Alcoa volunteers.
ADCH’s mission is to support and encourage the self-empowerment of individuals to develop community spirit and co-operation in Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and surrounding areas. It provides occasional childcare facilities for the community.
Due to drought conditions and water restrictions, a section of the childcare outdoor play area recently turned into hard-packed dirt and gravel. A group of our people from the Alcoa Anglesea Power Station heard about the problem and gave up their personal time to lay artificial turf.
Manager of ADCH, Julie Flynn, said: “We are very grateful to Alcoa for their generosity and for their strong support of the ADCH over many years. The new turf will ensure a safe and long-term environmentally sustainable solution.”
In early July, volunteers helped to remove stepping stone pavers, level the ground, lay turf and replace the stepping stones, allowing children to utilise what had become a non-accessible area.
Following the efforts of our volunteers, the Anglesea and District Community House has been given a US$3,000 ACTION grant to further the community service it provides.
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