The Dow Chemical Co. announced it will partner with Genesee County Habitat for Humanity and the United Way of Genesee County to support ongoing water relief efforts in Flint, Mich. In addition, various Dow employee groups have taken the initiative to offer support for their neighbors in need.
In partnership with the Genesee County Habitat for Humanity, Dow will offer and install free water filtration systems to all Habitat for Humanity homes in Flint. Dow’s Water and Process Solutions business will provide the reverse osmosis (RO) technology for the 150 filtration systems, and Michigan-based Dow employees and contractors will volunteer to install the systems.
In addition, Dow’s contribution to the United Way of Genesee County will include a donation of up to $100,000 from The Dow Chemical Co. Foundation, consisting of a $50,000 financial contribution and implementation of a Dow global employee matching gift program up to $50,000. This contribution will provide immediate relief efforts through the Flint Water Fund to be used for emergency support services and prevention efforts and is in addition to the previously donated $10,000 in Oct. 2015.
“Dow understands the significant challenges the Flint community is facing, and is committed to providing both short- and long-term sustainable solutions through our businesses, global citizenship efforts and employee initiatives,” said Andrew N. Liveris, Dow’s chairman and chief executive officer. “These partnerships and initiatives demonstrate what is core to Dow’s culture—helping others and giving back to our neighbors in times of need while working to provide innovative and sustainable business solutions to the Flint community for future generations.”
In addition to these partnerships, Dow employees have taken the initiative to offer support. In February, Dow’s African American Network volunteered in Flint and assembled water test kits, distributed water and filtration equipment and assisted with data entry following mobile distribution of water supplies. Subsequently, Dow’s North American Logistics team partnered with its long-standing carrier, XPO Logistics, to transport donated supplies to Flint, as part of a community-wide supply drive in Midland, Mich., that collected ready-made baby formula, baby wipes and bottled water.
“We are grateful for Dow’s contribution to the Habitat family in Flint as we move forward in addressing the needs of the community,” said Margaret Kato, executive director, Genesee County Habitat for Humanity. “Through this contribution, Dow has demonstrated its commitment to providing sustainable solutions to affected communities and its understanding of the importance for volunteerism.”
“For the past 75 years, United Way and Dow have worked together to enable community success,” said Jamie Gaskin, chief executive officer, United Way of Genesee County. “Through this financial contribution, Dow and its employees are demonstrating this commitment to the residents of Flint and as a result, the community will be will able to receive the much needed supplies and support that will help them overcome these immediate challenges.”
As part of Dow’s global citizenship strategy and its commitment to innovating for global and local solutions, Dow aims to identify, understand and address society’s most pressing challenges and determine how it can help provide solutions to create sustainable communities throughout the world. Specifically, these contributions and initiatives align with one of Dow’s two global citizenship commitment areas, “Innovating for Global Solutions” as it provides access to clean and safe water, as well as with Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals, “Engaging Employees for Impact.”
Source: Dow Chemical Company
