Business News
Making a difference: Alcoa volunteers on the rise
Friday 15. May 2009 - As the nation turns its eye to philanthropy during Volunteering Australias National Volunteering Week (11-17 May 2009), Alcoa of Australia today announced a company record 90,976 hours of volunteering in 2008, equating to 3,791 days or 10.4 years.
Across Australia, a total of 1280 Alcoa employees last year volunteered their personal time to make a difference in community health care, emergency services, education, art and heritage.
In the Geelong region, more 134 employees from Point Henry and Anglesea volunteered 13,500 hours in 2008, with their time matched by $55,500 in grants to local groups.
Alcoa Point Henry Smelter Operations Manager Stewart Esdale said that in the challenging economic times we are all experiencing, Alcoas volunteering is more essential than ever.
“Our engagement with our communities is critically important to Alcoa, and I am enormously proud to see more Alcoans getting out there to make a difference and share time, skills and knowledge.
“Despite essential cost cutting measures we have had to take, the Alcoa Foundation is still able to provide grants to local organisations being touched by our volunteers and thats fantastic for the Geelong region.
“In 2008 we saw a 10.5% increase in participation over the 12 month period. This is an excellent result and one I am extremely proud of.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of community organisations and we are proud to have such an engaged workforce who contribute so much to the community in which we live and work.”