More than 160 volunteers build houses with Habitat for Humanity
OAKVILLE, ON, Oct. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - More than 160 Siemens employees from coast-to-coast recently spent the day building houses as part of an ongoing partnership between Siemens Canada and Habitat for Humanity Canada. In total, volunteers dedicated more than 1,200 hours of work at 13 construction sites across Canada.
Nine Siemens locations from across the country participated in builds this year, allowing employees, management and executives to volunteer for one business day. They sharpened their construction skills by doing a wide variety of tasks including framing and constructing walls, digging for foundation, installing flooring, drywall, insulation and hardware, and painting.
In addition to the physical work that Siemens’ volunteers carried out, Siemens also made a sponsorship contribution of $43,000 to Habitat for Humanity Canada.
The 2013 program marks the second year Siemens Canada has partnered with Habitat for Humanity Canada. In 2012, more than 100 Siemens employees participated in nine builds across Canada, contributing more than 1,000 volunteer hours as well as a sponsorship of $25,000
Habitat for Humanity strives to provide a safe and decent place to live for hardworking low-income Canadian families. Families are carefully selected based on a list of criteria and they commit not only to pay their mortgage (geared to 25 per cent of income) but to also provide ‘sweat equity’ - 500 volunteer hours for Habitat. Recent studies indicate that these families experience an improvement in their quality of life and health since moving into their new Habitat-built home.
QUOTES:
“We are happy to partner with Habitat for Humanity to give our employees the opportunity to volunteer for such a rewarding cause. The enthusiasm and passion of our employees from all across the country is second-to-none when it comes to supporting our communities. It’s inspiring to be able to contribute first hand in making a difference by participating in these builds for Habitat, helping hardworking families realize their dream of home ownership.”
- Robert Hardt, President and CEO, Siemens Canada Limited- “For families to receive the hand up of affordable Habitat homeownership, we absolutely rely on leading corporate citizens like Siemens who are willing to volunteer time and donate the financial resources needed to transform the lives of low-income Canadian families. Siemens’ support will advance Habitat projects in 10 communities this year, and we are very grateful for their ongoing support.”
- Kevin Marshman, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada
About Siemens Caring Hands and the Caring Hands Employee Committee
The Siemens Caring Hands program was established in 2005 to coordinate and bundle corporate social responsibility activities, including donations, volunteerism, disaster relief and sponsorships. In 2010 Siemens Canada formed the Caring Hands Employee Committee to further unite the efforts of Siemens employees from coast-to-coast and to champion Caring Hands programs throughout the year including benefitting Siemens’ charity of record, Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Siemens Caring Hands represents a culture of giving that is cultivated by Siemens Canada and focuses on support for humanitarian and environmental non-profit organizations. Over years, Siemens Canada has made a significant impact in enhancing lives through its charitable activities.
About Siemens Canada
For more than 100 years the innovative ideas from Siemens have helped make Canada a better place. From the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, more than 4,500 employees in Canada work together to provide answers that last in the fields of industry, energy, healthcare and infrastructure solutions for cities. Since it was federally chartered in 1912, Siemens has stood for technical achievements, innovation, quality and reliability. Sales for Siemens in Canada in fiscal 2012 (ended September 30), were $2.1 billion CAD. The company has 53 offices and 14 manufacturing/assembly facilities across Canada. Further information is available at www.siemens.ca.
About Habitat for Humanity Canada
Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national, non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. With the help of over 63,000 volunteers every year and 69 affiliate organizations from coast to coast, their mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to break the cycle of poverty in Canada and around the world. For more information, please visit www.habitat.ca.
SOURCE Siemens Canada Limited
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.