January 5, 2018GF has a global footprint and with it a responsibility to our local communities. Through GF’s GlobalGives program, the company provides employees the opportunity to make a positive impact in their local communities in the areas of education, philanthropy and the environment. In 2017, employees made a difference in many ways, giving their time, money and goods. Below is a sample of just a few of the wonderful programs and events employees helped support in 2017. Aid to Victims of Disasters (GF WW) GF launched a number of global campaigns this year to aid the victims of a series of natural disasters, which resulted in an extensive amount of damage and devastation around the world. These included Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Maria; flooding in South Asia; an earthquake in Mexico; wildfires in California; and an earthquake in Iran/Iraq. The response from team GF was tremendous, raising valuable funds for all causes, in some cases including matching donations from the company. While immediate relief efforts were focused on providing victims with medical, food and water supplies, and other critical needs, those in the hardest hit areas will require even more support in the months ahead as they begin to rebuild their homes and communities. Burlington Food Drive (Vermont) Fab 9, in Burlington Vermont, held their annual food drive, collecting 4,817 pounds or nearly 2.5 tons of food that will make a large difference in nearby communities. In conjunction with the drive, the site held its annual food sculpture contest with teams of volunteers turning the donations into incredible, creative “food sculptures.” A number of different service agencies in the region received boxes of food and other necessary commodities, thanks to the help of GF’s 971 dock, which supported the drive by storing, weighing, and transporting the food. Other community events in Burlington included a winter items drive, a bike build competition (which benefited a local charity), and Benevity training. Toys for Tots Drive/Open House (New York) Fab 8, in Malta New York, held its annual Toys for Tots Drive, providing employees and community members the opportunity to give back to the community over the holidays by helping out needy children in the Greater Capital Region. Local Veterans began collecting donations at the Fab 8 Open House. As part of the event, GF also presented checks with money raised from our title sponsorship of the Malta 5K race to numerous community organizations. The event culminated with a check presentation to nearly a dozen FIRSTⒸ robotics teams and New York Tech Valley (NYTV) FIRSTⒸ affiliate partners, the recipients of NYTV FIRSTⒸ‘s 2018 grant awards. In 2017, the Malta site also donated about $3,000 worth of equipment to Ballston Spa High School for a new virtual reality lab. Hair for Hope (Singapore) The Singapore site held its annual Hair for Hope fundraising event, helping to raise funds for the Children’s Cancer Foundation and promote awareness of childhood cancer. A total of 68 GF employees had their heads shaved at the Singapore site, raising a total of $116,290.00 to date. Employees at the Singapore site also supported the Boy’s Brigade Give-A-Gift Wishes program, providing 815 gifts to a number of different charitable organizations. Christmas Volunteer Project (Germany) Fab 1, in Dresden Germany, collected presents for 50 children and teenagers of the welfare organization Louisenstift gGmbH. The six groups of children from disadvantaged families range in age from 3 to 17 years. Many of them will not be able to celebrate Christmas with their families. Employees also made donations to two charitable organizations: Treberhilfe Dresden e.V., which supports teenagers and young adults without a home or any means of income, and INTERPLAST Germany e.V., a group of surgeons and nurses from Saxony, who operate for free on patients in Tanzania (Africa) during their vacation time. ALS Walk/Treat the Troops Program (New York) The Fab 10 team in East Fishkill, N.Y. participated in the annual Hudson Valley ALS Walk on the Walkway Over the Hudson. This is a walk in remembrance and in honor of relatives and friends who have been affected by ALS, and the funds raised support people living with ALS in the local community and helps to advance global ALS research and public policy initiatives aimed at finding treatments and a cure for the disease. GF employees, along with IBM, also collected over 16,000 treats as part of the Treat the Troops program. GF employees brought the treats, which included cookies, candy, granola, crackers, chips, and popcorn, among others, as well as drink mix and cards, to a collection point at the IBM site in Poughkeepsie. In all, 211 packed boxes were shipped out to our deployed men and women! Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Refuge (California) Employees from the GF Santa Clara site sponsored a day of volunteering at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Refuge located in Alviso, just 10 minutes from campus. Nineteen employees volunteered their time, spending approximately two hours weeding, planting, picking up litter and the like to help preserve the natural beauty of this local gem. In total, GF volunteers picked up just over 27 pounds of trash. Other community activities at the Santa Clara site in 2017 included a food drive supporting the Redwood Empire Food Bank, a Back to School drive, and a Family Giving Tree Holiday Wish Drive. Austin Food Drive (Texas) Employees from GF’s Austin site participated in the Food and Fund Drive 2017, benefiting the Central Texas Food Bank. In all, 142 pounds of food (good for 113 healthy meals!) was donated by GF employees. The Central Texas Food Bank works to fulfill the unmet needs of people in Central Texas in three ways – sharing free food and their knowledge on low-cost, healthy eating with families in need, assisting families who qualify for federal assistance programs, and making food affordable for charitable and government partners. Sri Channabasaveshwara Gov’t School/Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (India) This year, GF’s Bangalore site donated a projector and computers to the Sri Channabasaveshwara Government School in Bellary, Karnataka, to help students attend “smart” classes. The school has approximately 200 students at the primary level and 200 students at the secondary level. The school has qualified teachers who are very enthusiastic and, in addition to academics, they also focus on the overall development of children and extracurricular activities, such as in-house organic gardening, sports and cultural shows. GF also donated a projector to help support cancer awareness camps in rural areas in conjunction with the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, a well-known comprehensive regional center for cancer research and treatment, offering sophisticated diagnostic and treatment services in India. As a company, GF remains committed to the communities in which we work. Through GlobalGives, employees have access to over two million non-profit organizations to enable a broader giving process and the opportunity to foster empathy through supporting our communities. GF employees, worldwide, are proud to be stewards for their communities and we all look forward to a great 2018.
