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March 13, 2009
Pernambuco charities to receive donations from Alcoa
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Company to donate R$208,000 to seven institutions in the state
Alcoa will make donations this month to seven charity organizations in the state of Pernambuco. The contributions, that total R$208,000 and come from the Alcoa Institute and the Alcoa Foundation, will provide support for seven community projects in the state. Among the institutions to receive the donations are the Recife Emmaus Association of Recyclers and the Center for Employment and Culture.
The Recife Emmaus Association of Recyclers was founded in 1996 in the Pernambuco state capital of Recife. The organization works with more then 100 young people, running vocational and recycling courses. According to Ronaldo Medeiros, president of the association, the money donated by the Alcoa Institute will do a great deal to benefit the young people. “With these funds, we plan to buy more equipment for the courses and do some maintenance work on our facilities,” said Ronaldo.
Also located in Recife, the Center for Employment and Culture works with nearly 250 teenagers and adults in the state capital, providing a vocational education. Júnior Almeida Campos, coordinator of the organization, said the money from Alcoa is essential for upgrading materials and acquiring new machinery. “We will buy a milling cutter for the mechanics course and new tools and equipment for the electrical course. With these purchases, our machinery and tools will be more suited to the reality of the job market,” explained Júnior.
About the Alcoa Foundation
The aim of the Alcoa Foundation, whose headquarters are in the United States and which was founded in 1952, is to allocate funds to projects in the communities where the Company has units everywhere in the world. These fund injections are, as a priority, earmarked for programs in which there is an effective and voluntary participation on the part of Company employees and members of their families. During its history the Alcoa Foundation has proved to be a source of change and improvement in communities and some US$ 466 million have been invested since it was set up.
In 2007 donations from Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation totaled more than US$ 49 million in 34 countries. Since 1995, the Foundation and the Alcoa Institute together have donated some R$ 85 million to more than 1700 social projects that have benefited 25 cities in Brazil and more than 850,000 hours of volunteer work have been done.
Among the highlights of the Alcoa Foundation’s donations are investments of U$ 8.6 million to the six-year Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship Program, aimed at research in the area of global conservation and sustainability through partnerships with renowned academic institutions and non-governmental organizations located on all continents. The University of São Paulo (USP) is the Brazilian partner-institution in this project, which provides international recognition for researchers from the university and the advance of studies in the environmental area.
About the Alcoa Institute
The main objective of the Alcoa Institute, which was set up in Brazil in 1990, is to improve the living conditions of the communities where the Company and its subsidiaries operate. Through its social programs and from the donations of Group companies, in addition to the additional resources coming from the Alcoa Foundation, the Institute funds projects that meet the real needs and wants of these communities. The activities are predominantly in the areas of education, health, the environment and social well-being. These actions by Alcoa have a strong ally in the commitment of the Company’s employees to volunteer activities.
In 2008, Alcoa, the Alcoa Institute and the Alcoa Foundation, together, donated funds totaling R$ 10.2 million that were distributed in the form of one-off donations, community projects and volunteer programs. Since 1955 these donations have already reached R$90 million in more than 1800 community projects, totaling more than 1 million hours of voluntary work. Just in 2008 more than 940,000 people benefited in 32 Brazilian municipalities.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems. The Company has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for seven consecutive years. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.
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