PPG Announces Four COLORFUL COMMUNITIES Projects in Pittsburgh
Volunteers to paint sites in August, among 30 sites globally in
second year of initiative
PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
As part of its global community engagement efforts, PPG (NYSE: PPG) this
week begins mobilizing volunteers for its COLORFUL COMMUNITIES™ program
at four sites in Pittsburgh, in partnership with United Way of
Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Colorful Communities initiative
provides PPG volunteers and products along with financial contributions
to bring color and vitality to communities where our company operates
around the world. The program increases PPG’s commitment to invest in
communities by adding $10 million to support efforts made during a
10-year period.
In addition to providing renovation assistance, PPG offered program
grants of $10,000 for each Pittsburgh organization to enrich programming
related to science, math and technology learning.
More than 60 Pittsburgh-area PPG employees will volunteer to paint and
refurbish classrooms and corridors at four sites served by United Way of
Southwestern Pennsylvania:
According to Sue Sloan, PPG executive director of corporate global
social responsibility, “Each of these places is essential to young
people, providing a setting where they can develop creativity, build
self-esteem and learn responsibility.”
The Pittsburgh projects are among 30 planned around the world in 2016 as
part of the company’s commitment to give back to communities where its
employees live and work. Approximately $750,000 is budgeted for Colorful
Communities projects this year, including $50,000 to refurbish and
support the Pittsburgh sites.
“We’re excited to expand this initiative, which brings smiles to our
employees and our neighbors. The main goal is to beautify the
neighborhoods we call ‘home’ by investing in them, especially where the
need is great,” Sloan said. “Additionally, the projects encourage
volunteerism, which builds our employees’ morale and empowers them to
create positive change in their communities. And because these
Pittsburgh-area sites all offer after-school programs, we are acting on
our priority of supporting educational efforts by giving young people
brighter, more engaging environments in which to learn and grow.”
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania teamed with PPG on the
Pittsburgh-area projects based on their long-standing relationship and
because the Colorful Communities program fits the nonprofit
organization’s goals of making communities better for everyone and
addressing issues for people in need. The United Way funds programs at
each of the four sites.
“Offering support to families and young people is a large part of what
we do,” said United Way Chief Volunteer Engagement Officer Lois Mufuka
Martin. “We know how volunteering benefits the people involved and their
communities. For example, United Way’s Next Generation drive encourages
millennials who want to make an impact by helping their neighbors. They
know that community involvement leads to more fulfilling careers.”
Volunteers from PPG and representatives from each organization will make
repairs and paint at the four project sites. The project schedule is as
follows:
-
Aug. 6 – YWCA Homewood-Brushton
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Aug. 9-10 – Propel Pitcairn
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Aug. 20 – Jeron X. Grayson Community Center
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Aug. 25 – Boys & Girls Club
Pittsburgh muralist Lynne Mack will work with several of the nonprofit
organizations to create unique murals using brightly colored PPG PAINTS™
products.
“We work with recipient organizations to determine the best colors for
their sites – we even offer PPG design experts’ services for color
consultations,” Sloan said. “We estimate that among the four
Pittsburgh-area sites, our volunteers will apply about 100 gallons of
paint to coat more than 20,000 square feet of hallways, classrooms and
programming space. It’s a lot of fun for everyone involved.”
Sloan said PPG plans to invest between $50,000 and $100,000 for Colorful
Communities efforts in its Pittsburgh headquarters community
annually, complementing grants made through the PPG Foundation and PPG
corporate support for many Pittsburgh cultural and sports organizations.
Other areas slated to benefit from the Colorful Communities
program in 2016 are Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and Cleveland in the U.S., as
well as communities in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, China, New
Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary and
Denmark.
The Colorful Communities program is PPG’s signature initiative
for community engagement efforts, with the aim to protect and beautify
the neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. Together with
community partners and PPG employees who volunteer, the program supports
projects that transform community assets using donated PPG products. In
2015, PPG completed 11 Colorful Communities projects, and it
expects to complete about 30 more this year.
PPG and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG
communities around the world. We donated more than $7.8 million in 2015
to hundreds of community organizations across 20 countries. By investing
in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and
develop tomorrow’s innovators in industries related to coatings and
specialty materials. Plus, we empower PPG employees to make an impact
for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer
efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at www.ppgcommunities.com
and follow @PPG_Communities
on Twitter.
About United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, serving Allegheny,
Westmoreland, Fayette and Southern Armstrong counties, leads and
mobilizes the caring power of individuals, the business community and
organizations to help local people in need measurably improve their
lives. United Way creates long-lasting change for the betterment of our
community. For more information, visit uwswpa.org.
PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD ™
At PPG (NYSE: PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints,
coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 130
years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’
biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path
forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in
more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.3 billion in 2015.
We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and
transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.
We protect and beautify the world, Colorful Communities
and PPG Paints are trademarks and the PPG Logo is a
registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160804005886/en/
PPG Media Contact
Mark Silvey, 412-434-3046
Corporate
Communications
silvey@ppg.com
www.ppgcommunities.com
Source: PPG