For the past seven years, the North American employees at Faurecia, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, have united in the fight to end hunger. Since 2010, they have raised 5.45 million meals for local communities – enough to feed a city the size of Fort Wayne, Indiana for a week.
More than 20,000 Faurecia employees at 43 manufacturing plants and R&D centers across Canada, Mexico and the United States, committed to donate food and money to local food bank partners for the FUELS (Faurecia Unites with Employees for Local Service) Community Food Drive. During September, employees surpassed their 800,000 meal goal by ending the month with over 1.1 million meals raised. This was accomplished through both individual donations, fundraisers and by challenging themselves to go the extra mile to help families in need.
"I continue to be inspired by our employees each September, year after year, as they look beyond their daily roles helping to produce innovative products and turn their attention to giving back to local communities," said Mark Stidham, president of Faurecia North America. "Our employees continue to raise the bar with FUELS, much like we raise the bar with reaching new markets and expanding product offerings for the future of manufacturing."
Each year, Faurecia facilities team up with local food banks to understand the specific needs of local residents and to ensure maximum impact. In addition to food and monetary donations, many employees donate time during scheduled volunteer days at the partner food banks.
As part of the food drive, the Faurecia facilities participate in friendly competition. Each site has a goal to meet based on the amount of meals collected in the previous year. In addition to employees' individual donations, the Faurecia sites host a variety of fundraisers such as chili cook-off competitions, golf outings, car washes, dunk tanks, picnics, obstacle courses, and softball tournaments.
For sites that reached their targets, the company is donating an extra $1,000 to the food bank partner. The sites that raised the most, as a percentage of their goal, earned an extra $5,000 for their food bank partner. The winning site for Canada/U.S. was Arlington, Texas (FECT) and for Mexico was Puebla Central/R&D. Overall, Faurecia will be donating an extra $49,000 (147,000 meals) to food bank partners.
To recognize outstanding dedication, teamwork, creativity and effort, Faurecia North America announced a new award. An extra $1,000 will be donated to the food bank of the special plants who went the extra mile. The winning site for Canada/U.S. was Chattanooga, Tennessee (FECT) and for Mexico was San Luis Potosi (FIS).
Additionally on October 4, there was a special presentation made to the Columbus, Indiana-area food bank partner, The Love Chapel. As part of the Columbus South Plant grand opening, Faurecia presented a check of more than $22,000. The Community Food Drive is an important part of Faurecia's role as a good corporate citizen. It is a hallmark of the company's present and future.
The FUELS Community Food Drive is one example of Faurecia's service and volunteer initiatives through its business groups and individual team members. Its ongoing efforts include commitments to STEM, providing shelter and ending hunger, plus participating in other charitable partnerships.
About Faurecia
Faurecia is one of the world's largest automotive equipment suppliers with global leadership positions in three activities: Automotive Seating, Interior Systems and Emissions Control Technologies. Its strong technology offer provides automakers with solutions for the cockpit of the future and sustainable mobility. In 2015, the Group posted total sales of $23 billion and employed 103,000 people in 34 countries at 330 sites and 30 R&D centers. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange and trades in the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market. In North America, Faurecia had sales of $6.4 billion in 2015. It employs more than 20,000 people at 48 locations in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
For further information: www.faurecia.com