Community Engagement in the U.S.A
‘UNITED WAY’
ICL Americas’ largest ongoing community engagement project is its support (both financial and through employee volunteerism) of the United Way of the Greater St. Louis Region. This non-profit agency provides support to over 180 social service agencies in the region. The United Way of Greater St. Louis helps 1 in 3 local people in the areas of food and shelter, improving health, fostering learning, strengthening communities and establishing financial stability. The 2019 campaign offered ICL employees (from ICL’s
Carondelet Plant, Webster Groves Technical Center and the St. Louis Headquarters) the opportunity to pledge financial support and held a fundraising competition in which employee teams raised funds toward an education grant for Youth In Need, a United Way agency. The campaign raised over $50,000 in employee and corporate donations.
ICL PARTNERS WITH FOREST RELEAF OF MISSOURI TO KEEP ST. LOUIS GREENER
ICL employees from the Carondelet Plant, Webster Groves Technical Center and St. Louis HQ sites teamed up to make Carondelet and Webster Park a little greener. The two tree planting events are focused on keeping the community greener and supporting urban reforestation efforts in the St. Louis region.
Community Foresters from Forest Relief of Missouri gave employees a crash course in proper tree planting. Employees dug, planted, mulched and watered dozens of trees that will provide shade and beauty for all those that enjoy these parks.
COOKING AND CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN IN THE ST. PATRICK CENTER WOMEN’S NIGHT PROGRAM
A group of ICL employees gathered to provide a nutritious meal for participants in the Women’s Night Program at St. Patrick Center.
For the past 35 years, St. Patrick Center has operated a program for a group of clients requiring the most care: women struggling with homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse. The Women’s Night Program, consisting of a day program and overnight care, has helped hundreds of women cope with their fears, meet their goals and provided permanent, supportive housing. Employees served about 20 women a delicious meal and visited with them.
HUNGER DOESN’T TAKE A VACATION – ICL EMPLOYEES PACK FOOD FOR ST. LOUIS AREA FOOD BANK
Employees from the St. Louis HQ and Webster Groves Technical Center teamed up with the St. Louis Area Foodbank to pack personal care and cleaning supplies for local food pantries. In a few short hours, this team of employees, with another company team, processed an astounding 9,150 pounds or 4.58 tons for local food pantries. Their work provided 7,469 people with personal care and cleaning items. ICL has an ongoing partnership with the St. Louis Area Foodbank sponsoring other volunteer opportunities and food drives.
Employees from the St. Louis HQ and Webster Groves Technical Center teamed up with the St. Louis Area Foodbank to pack personal care and cleaning supplies for local food pantries. In a few short hours this team of employees, together with another company team, processed an impressive 9,150 pounds, or 4.58 tons, for local food pantries. Their work provided 7,469 people with personal care and cleaning items. ICL maintains an ongoing partnership with the St. Louis Area Foodbank, sponsoring other volunteer opportunities and food drives.
ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
ICL has been a supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the past four years. In September, the St. Jude Walk began on the steps of the St. Louis Arch. We celebrated an “End to Chemo Party” with St. Jude patient, Lucy. This year, St. Louis HQ raised over $2,000 for the children of St. Jude.
Webster Groves Technical Center
Scientists from the Webster Groves Technical Center participated in National Volunteering Week, Feed My Starving Children Campaign at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church FMSC Mobile Pack.
During their two hour shift, employees packed 15 boxes. Each box contained 46 bags of dry meal (a mixture of rice, vegetables, soy and nutrients). One bag provides six meals, enough to feed two children for a day.
The job included mixing, weighing and sealing, packing ingredients. It was a great activity to ensure food security for those less fortunate.
ICL LAWRENCE TEAMS UP WITH JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
ICL Lawrence has been involved in Junior Achievement (JA) in Lawrence, Kansas for nearly 14 years. ICL employees have volunteered to teach at the Woodlawn School in North Lawrence. On average, ICL 10 employees each year volunteer to mentor students for five hours a week. In addition, ICL employees help raise funds for the program through other fundraisers, including Bowl-A-Thon and a Chili Cook-off. In 2018, employees of the ICL-Lawrence plant raised over $1,400 USD for Junior Achievement.
ICL U.S.A LAWRENCE’s SUPPORT FOR THE ANNUAL KAW VALLEY EAGLES DAY
Each year, the ICL Lawrence Plant in Kansas sponsors a local event called the “Kaw Valley Eagles Day.” It is sponsored by the Jayhawk chapter of the Audubon Society.
This annual educational event includes presentations about snakes, red tailed hawks, bald eagles and more. There are also other interactive activities for the kids, including dissecting a real owl pellet. During this event, the community has various opportunities to visit different sites near the Clinton Lake or near the downtown area for Eagle Watching.
ICL partnered with The Home Depot to provide 400 small wooden kits of bird houses, toolboxes, and race cars for children to build. This is a very popular activity with the kids. ICL volunteers assisted children in the building assembly of the kits.
ICL LAWRENCE PLANT SUPPORTS THE UNITED WAY OF DOUGLAS COUNTY THROUGH ANNUAL CAMPAIGN
The ICL Lawrence Plant supports the United Way of Douglas County with its annual fundraising campaign. ICL Lawrence has supported the Douglas County United Way for over 20 years because the plant is located in the heart of Douglas County and is invested in supporting organizations that aid the residents in the community.
The Douglas County United Way directs donations to local not-for-profit organizations focused on improving the areas education, health and financial stability. Lawrence employees supported the United Way with over $16,000 in donations. These donations fund programs to aid school readiness, make food accessible for all and to provide healthcare coverage for preventative care.
ICL U.S.A GALLIPOLIS FERRY RECOGNIZED AS PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
ICL-IP Gallipolis Ferry is an active and involved Partner in Education with the Beale Elementary School located within close-proximity of the GF site. Beale enrolls about 255 students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.
ICL has supported Beale students, staff, and community in a wide variety of ways over the years. These include helping with landscaping, providing reflective tape for student backpacks and clothing as they wait for buses, purchasing supplies for shelter-in-place events and donating items for fundraisers. ICL employees have also donated food for Beale’s backpack program which provides food for children who may not have food otherwise on weekends.
Often, ICL employees volunteer as judges for school contests and school activities such as Career Days, Open Houses, and Family Fun Days at the school.
ICL promotes safety awareness at Beale Elementary by sponsoring a safety poster contest each year, most recently in conjunction with ICL’s National Safety Week. Students submit safety posters on a safety topic of their choice and GF displays posters in the hallway of the administration building during Safety Week. ICL then purchases books from the school’s book fair for the winners, who are also selected by ICL employees.
ICL GF values its strong relationship with the local elementary school. Giving back to the community is very important to ICL GF and investing in the local children is one of its most important and treasured outreach efforts.
TARRYTOWN LIGHTS IT UP BLUE IN SUPPORT OF AUTISM
The ICL Industrial Products Team in Tarrytown, NY, teamed up in support of World Autism Day. During the day, the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world, are lit in blue in recognition of people living with autism. Autism-friendly events and educational activities occur all month to increase understanding and acceptance and foster worldwide support. The team raised money and participated in the Autism Speaks Walk in White Plains, New York. The office raised over $1,600 with collections from ICL co-workers, family, friends and a donation from ICL.
ICL AMERICAS SPECIALTY FERTILIZER TEAM PARTICIPATED IN TRIDENT UNITED WAY’S DAYS OF CARING
ICL Specialty Fertilizers’ team in North Charleston, South Carolina, partnered with Fort Dorchester Elementary School to design and build raised garden beds in a fenced area on the school grounds. This service project was part of the United Way’s Days of Caring where different employers can volunteer in the community. The team donated all materials for one bed for each grade level at the school. The garden beds will allow hands-on time outside and enrichment of teachings on the topics of science and health.
A team of ICL volunteers transported and installed 1,200 lbs. of lumber and 8,250 lbs. of soil/potting media. In addition, to the six requested raised garden beds, they also built a seventh raised bed on which they planted three blueberry bushes. ICL also donated a drip irrigation system which was installed for the raised beds. Many herbs and vegetables were planted, and additional seeds/bulbs were donated with instructions for the kids to plant both this fall and the coming spring.
Diversity and Inclusion
In celebration of Jewish American Heritage month, ICL provided St. Louis employees with an opportunity to participate in a docent-led tour of the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center on May 14.
The goal of this opportunity was to increase understanding through education at the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Holocaust Museum & Learning Center preserves the legacy of the Holocaust, educates about its causes and empowers visitors to make the world a more tolerant place by rejecting all forms of hate, racism, and bigotry.
We were privileged to have our tour led by Irl Solomon, a high school teacher for 35 years and a docent at the museum for 17 years. The tour culminated in hearing a Holocaust survivor story from a second generation survivor of the Holocaust. This daughter, of her now deceased mother and Holocaust survivor, shared her mother’s story of survival and loss.
