Oldcastle, Inc. presented checks totaling $154,000 to CHF International, Hope for Haiti and the Canadian Red Cross. The funds were collected through a company-wide employee donation program with a 100 percent Oldcastle match.
JoAnne Kuehner, president and founder, Hope for Haiti, accepts the check on behalf of more than 500,000 children and families the organization reaches each year, from John Skidmore, president, APAC-Southeast, Inc., a subsidiary of Oldcastle Materials, Inc. The check presentation took place in Naples, Fla., on March 22.
“Oldcastle and parent company, CRH plc, drive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in all facets of our operations,” said Mark Towe, CEO, Oldcastle, Inc., in a press release. “As an international leader in the building materials sector, we are committed to ethical and responsible management, contributing where we believe our actions can make an impact. CSR is an integral component of our performance and growth.”
The company also operates in the region, providing building materials via its Oldcastle OneSourceSM platform, which serves markets in the Bahamas, Caribbean Islands, Central America and Mexico.
The charities were chosen for their organizational effectiveness, as rated by Charity Navigator, as well as Hope for Haiti’s mission to improve the lives of children, CHF International’s commitment to infrastructure and shelter, and the Canadian Red Cross’ call to provide medical support, clean water, food and shelter.
“Thank you to all Oldcastle employees who so generously contributed their financial resources to the Haitian Relief Fund and to the company for the employee matching gift,” JoAnne Kuehner, president and founder, Hope for Haiti, said in a written statement. “These donations will go directly to help Hope for Haiti to fulfill its mission of improving the quality of life for the Haitian people, particularly children, through education, nutrition and healthcare. The funds will be used for ongoing programs, particularly our Education Program, which has grown tremendously since the earthquake. With 37 schools and 12,000 students in our Education Program before the earthquake, these schools will be absorbing hundreds of displaced children who have moved into rural areas of Southern Haiti, our primary impact zone.”
Martin Shapiro, vice president for global operations, CHF International, said the company is grateful to Oldcastle and its employees for “its generosity in helping the people of Haiti recover from the terrible earthquake of Jan. 12.
Chris Ross, senior vice president of national supplier relationships, Oldcastle Architectural Products and Joyce Watson, vice president of public relations, Oldcastle Materials, Inc., present a check to Jerome Lebleu (far left), manager, the Americas, CHF International; Martin Shapiro (center), vice president, global operations, CHF International, and David Humphries (far right), communications manager , in Silver Spring, Md., on March 23
“The donations will enable CHF to provide safe and sanitary shelter built to international standards for hundreds of Haitians,” Shapiro said. “Oldcastle’s generosity will also help to provide the people of Haiti with the skills needed for future employment and form part of the important education of how to build constructions that can withstand earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters. The donations from Oldcastle are not just part of earthquake relief, but also part of creating a solid basis for the future of the people of Haiti.”
