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September 30, 2008
2008 Alcoa Worldwide Month of Service: Alcoa Employees to Make a Difference Where They Live and Work
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today that October is the start of the company’s
third annual Month of Service (MOS) when more than 16,000 Alcoa
volunteers across the globe joining with their families, neighbors and
community groups to undertake over 450 community projects in 25
countries.
In 2007, Alcoa volunteers gave 634,000 hours of voluntary service –
the equivalent of more than 362 people working full-time.
“Alcoa’s Month of
Service is about achieving sustainable positive impact through our
pursuit of excellence and building our collective year-round commitment
to community service,” said Klaus Kleinfeld,
CEO and President of Alcoa.
“Together Alcoa employees apply their energy
and talent to make a real difference in our communities –
the Alcoa difference.”
Alcoa’s MOS has an impressive track-record of
achievement with over 80,000 people within Alcoa and the broader
community participating in the MOS since its inception in 2006.
During last year’s event, Alcoa volunteers
helped 187 schools, delivered over 2,300 meals, built Habitat homes,
contributed to wildlife preservation, planted 12,000 trees and saved
over 1,700 tons of CO2.
Alcoa’s 2008 MOS activities focus on
partnerships with local groups to improve and rehabilitate local
facilities and the local environment such as parks and rivers. Alcoa
volunteers will assist in building sustainable communities, provide aid
for children, the elderly and those in need, support schools and health
centers, and strengthen local infrastructure.
Through their volunteer efforts, Alcoa volunteers are applying and
sharing Alcoa’s core strengths and values,
and health, safety and education standards for the benefit of local
communities. These partnerships also reflect Alcoa’s
commitment to conservation and sustainability –
and its action to plant 100 Million Trees, to recycle, and to find
solutions to global climate change.
“Alcoa’s 2008
Month of Service is an extension of our determination to add real value
to everything we do – in the communities in
which we live and within our operations,”
said Kleinfeld.
“These are challenging times for many people
in many regions of the world, and we are committed to making a
difference. I am enormously proud of what Alcoa employees achieve
through their volunteer work in partnership with our local community
groups.”
Highlights of Alcoa’s 2008 Month of
Service Activities
Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation are committed to sustainable communities.
Alcoa Foundation has invested $49 million in communities around the
world since its inception. Alcoa invested over $8 million in community
climate change projects in 2007 alone, and over $1 million in recycling
projects.
Highlights of Alcoa's 2008 upcoming Worldwide Month of Service activities from around the world are:
- United States: Alcoa employees are holding recycling workshops, planting trees, working with school children, holding food drives, delivering meals to senior citizens, participating in blood drives and book fairs, building homes for the most vulnerable, and repairing buildings and facilities to benefit non-profit groups and those in need. For example:
- In Pennsylvania, volunteers will help in school literacy programs, renovate a women's and children's shelter, and prepare humanitarian and medical supplies to send to communities in least developed countries.
- In Michigan, volunteers will build wheelchair ramps at homes, renovate a local library, clean-up a nature trail, and assist senior citizens.
- In Tennessee, 1,500 trees will be given away for planting, and volunteers will participate in a "Day of Caring" to renovate local shelters and gardens.
- In Indiana, Alcoa employees will conduct a hands-on recycling workshop for school children, and work with charity organizations to donate food and clothing.
- In Iowa, Alcoa employees are partnering with Habitat for Humanity to build homes and with environmental and emergency housing groups to deliver services.
- In New York, with the American Natural History Museum's "Movable Museum" bus, employees will conduct a global cultures day at a Bronx school.
- Brazil: Over 3,100 employees will participate in over 50 events, from environmental, recycling and safety workshops, programs for children, classroom improvement projects to a series of events to recognize and encourage Alcoa employees' volunteerism spanning the country.
- Across Europe, Alcoa employees will be repairing schools, assisting orphanages, donating and distributing food and essentials to the needy, hosting free health clinics for the community, planting trees and gardens, cleaning rivers, lakes, parks and sand dunes, and holding environmental education workshops. For example,
- In Italy, Alcoa employees will hold over 20 events to assist the community, including host a free eye check-up for those in the community.
- In Romania, volunteers will participate in a "Clean Rivers for Humanity" day and an environmental field trip for children, as well as a program of activities at local orphanages.
- In Hungary, over 20 projects are planned to help schools, build a sports ground and plant trees on school grounds.
- Australia: Over 2,000 employees will participate in 70 activities, including climate change "Carbon Crunch" events and workshops for employees and their families to understand and offset their carbon emissions; and National Ride to Work Day to reduce their GHG footprints by bicycling to work.
- China: In Shanghai and Bohai, Alcoa employees will participate in environmental protection workshops, support local villages with environmental improvements, and volunteer at a local school for disabled children.
- Russia: In Moscow, Belaya Kalitiva and Samara, Alcoa employees will upgrade the environs of a centers for children and the elderly, create a sports-ground for a local orphanage, as well as clean-up a local nature reserve and develop an ecological path and Alcoa tree alley.
- Canada: Alcoa employees plan 20 activities, including working with schools to raise funds for playgrounds, and continuing construction of a bicycle path. Just last week, 200 employees and their families spent 814 hours renovating non-profit organization facilities.
- Mexico and Honduras: Will hold a community health fair, undertake park improvements and women's health workshops.
- Jamaica: In addition to improvements to a senior citizens infirmary and several schools, 2000 trees will be planted during October under Alcoa's 100 Million Trees Initiative, and they will hold programs on natural resource management for school children.
- Suriname: Alcoa employees will partner with local community members to undertake over 30 events and projects, including a road safety project and renovations to schools and playgrounds.
- In Africa: Volunteers in Guinea will hold events focused on education and resource management for school children.
Background
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
97,000 employees in 34 countries and has been named one of the top most
sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Switzerland.
ABOUT ALCOA FOUNDATION
Alcoa Foundation is a separately constituted nonprofit U.S. corporate
foundation with assets of approximately $500 million. Its mission is to
actively invest in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide.
Throughout its history, the Foundation has been a source of positive
community change and enhancement, with nearly $466 million invested
since 1952.
The Foundation's grants address global and local needs in over 36
countries by partnering with Alcoa communities around the world to make
a difference. Global and local grantmaking is responsive to the needs
and aspirations of Alcoa communities and marshals the combined
expertise, energies, and values of Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation to provide
a world-class standard of excellence in corporate citizenship.
In 2007, Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation invested a combined total of $49.0
million in community programs in 36 countries, focusing on four areas of
excellence: conservation and sustainability, global education and
workplace skills, business and community partnerships, and safe and
healthy children and families. Alcoa Foundation manages the Alcoa
employee volunteer programs ACTION and Bravo!
For more information, visit www.alcoa.com/foundation.
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