ACTION projects are as diverse as the locations where Alcoa operates and address a local community need – whether it is improving environmental sustainability by constructing a compost garden and rainwater capture system at an elementary school in Viveiro, Spain, or renovating the building of a United Way community center to improve its service infrastructure in Kingston, Jamaica.
In 2011 alone 11,280 Alcoa employees volunteered in nearly 800 ACTION events, providing more than 52,199 hours of community service and earning the nonprofit organizations they served more than US$1.7 million in grants.
Meet Our Volunteers
Australia
A 20-year tradition continued as 10 Alcoa employees joined forces with Friends of Buckley Falls and Greening Australia to focus on the ongoing vegetation of Buckley Falls Park on the banks of the Moorabool and Barwon Rivers. The volunteers assisted with weed removal and ground preparation before planting indigenous tube stock with tree guards and mulching.
Iceland
Students of Egilsstadir and Reydarfjördur Elementary schools in East Iceland have a place to learn about nature and the importance of sustainability. Alcoa Fjardaál volunteers and PTA members created an outdoor classroom to help make the environment a natural part of the curriculum. This concept, funded by an ACTION grant from Alcoa Foundation, proved to be very successful, even in places where weather conditions may be extreme. The outdoor classrooms are ideal for teaching children how to read the environment and feel good being in a natural environment, which may help future generations to appreciate nature.
Jamaica
More than 40 community volunteers turned out to help Jamalco volunteers build the One Accord Basic School in Savannah Cross, Clarendon. Alcoa Foundation provided the school with an ACTION grant to complete construction. Participants in the service day also included members of the PTA, contractors, and students. They tied steel, mixed mortar, laid blocks, and expanded a playfield. The new school will house the 62 students and three teachers.
Michigan, USA
More than 125 Alcoa-Howmet Whitehall employees improved downtown Muskegon. Volunteers planted apple trees, installed bike racks, and painted the Muskegon Museum of Art. Ray Mitchell, president of Alcoa Power and Propulsion said, “I believe together we can achieve extraordinary things by identifying and tackling unmet needs in our communities.”
