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ACTION
ACTION (Alcoans Coming Together In Our Neighborhoods) recognises the team effort of at least five Alcoa employees who spend a minimum of four hours on a community service project for a local not-for-profit, community or non-governmental organisation. In recognition of the team's effort, Alcoa makes a contribution to the organisation and grants are up to $US3,000.
Read on for just a couple of our great ACTION event stories …
Alcoans help YMCA camp in Anglesea
Volunteers from Alcoa Anglesea in Victoria 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 through an Alcoa ACTION grant.
In line with the Camp’s goal to become more sustainable, the US$3000 ACTION grant was invested in the development of the Organic Recycling & Education Centre.
The Centre now 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, was 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.”
Pinjarra Employees committed to the Community
The West Murray Fire Brigade near Pinjarra in Western Australia celebrated the official opening of its new building extensions in 2009.
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 Alcoa was a welcome addition to our budget.”
Meantime, hockey was the sport of the day for Alcoa employees when they joined together with members of the Pinjarra Hockey Club to improve the Club’s playing infrastructure in 2009.
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.
Friends of Buckley Falls get a helping hand from Point Henry
Point Henry employees willingly endured hot and dusty conditions to assist the ‘Friends of Buckley Falls’ create a parkland in the Buckley Falls area.
Friends of Buckley Falls is a volunteer conservation group which is often joined by Alcoa volunteers in its environmental restoration work.
15 Alcoa employees worked tirelessly to prepare community parkland before planting indigenous tube stock to revegetate land by the Barwon River.
While the weather wasn’t friendly to our volunteers or the new plants (with over 30 degree temperatures and a blustery northerly wind), the work continued went on and continued the long standing association between Friends of Buckley Falls and Alcoa.
The work of our people earned the Friends of Buckley Falls a US$3000 ACTION grant from Alcoa.
Our People make Play Area Safer
The Anglesea and District Community House (ADCH) 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 had 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 2009, 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.
For more information about ACTION contact:
National Partnerships Manager
Sarah Fordham
0404 800 110
sarah.fordham@alcoa.com.au
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