US$250,000 Grant to Fund Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Efforts in the Community
Boston – Feb. 23, 2022 – The GE Foundation today announced a donation of US$250,000 to support emergency relief and reconstruction efforts following devastating flooding and mudslides in Petrópolis, Brazil. In partnership with Ação da Cidadania (Citizenship Action), a Brazilian non-profit organization, the funding will provide 40 tons of emergency food and hygiene kits for approximately 2,500 residents, as well as supply 500 families with refrigerators and ovens during the rebuilding process. In addition to the organization’s donation, GE employees can support relief efforts through its Matching Gifts Program.
“The GE Foundation is proud to work with Ação da Cidadania to help families in the region recover from the devastating flooding,” said Linda Boff, President, GE Foundation, and Vice President, GE.
“In this painful moment for Petropolis city population, we have witnessed enormous solidarity from people and companies to help impacted families. The GE Foundation donation comes at a special time, as it will help in the process of rebuilding the lives of these families in a very significant way. Our deep appreciation for the generous donation on behalf of all the families that will benefit from this support,” said Kiko Afonso, Executive Director, Ação da Cidadania NGO.
The GE family in Brazil is also lending its support. GE Aviation is providing food, water and hygiene kits to the city. GE employees in the area are volunteering to help with clean up, hosting colleagues who have lost their homes, and assisting with logistics and donations to those in need whenever possible.
“GE Celma has a close 70-year history in Petrópolis and very strong ties in the local community. We are devastated by loss of life and destruction caused by the floods and landslides. Yet, we are inspired by the outpouring of support for the people and the city. The GE Foundation grant will help families begin the long road to recovery,” said Viveka Kaitila, President of GE do Brasil.
GE employees who make eligible donations to Ação da Cidadania or other participating charities can register for a match with the GE Foundation’s Matching Gifts Program, which supports employees’ personal philanthropy and charitable giving by providing a 1:1 match. The GE Foundation created the concept of a corporate matching gift program in 1954. Today, the program continues to serve as an important element of the Foundation’s portfolio, with gifts matched in 2020 totaling $16.8 million.
GE’s Disaster and Humanitarian Relief program responds to major global disasters and humanitarian crises, drawing on GE’s people, technology and other resources to reduce suffering and hasten recovery. Since 2020, the GE Foundation’s philanthropic contribution in disaster relief totaled nearly $5.4 million, which was largely focused on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. GE remains committed to preparing for and responding to future natural disasters and humanitarian crises, diligently maximizing the impact of our financial, technological and human resources.
About the GE Foundation
The GE Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by GE, is committed to transforming our communities and shaping the diverse workforce of tomorrow by leveraging the power of GE. Through Next Engineers, we are increasing the diversity of young people in engineering. In our hometown of Boston, we are working to improve workforce diversity, attack the opioid crisis, and drive STEM education in public schools. We are also inspiring others to act by connecting GE people with communities through our Matching Gifts Program and Disaster Relief. The GE STAR awards provide financial support to eligible children of GE employees for their achievements. Learn more at www.ge.com/foundation and follow us on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.
GE Brazil & Latin America
Juliana Souza
[email protected]
GE Foundation
Jeff Caywood
[email protected]