When disasters strike, we roll up our sleeves to help.
Man-made and natural disasters can be devastating to our
employees, neighbors and customers. Victims immediately need access
to safe shelter, food, clothing and financial assistance to start
rebuilding their lives.
We feel the best way to help those affected by disasters as
quickly as possible is by partnering with relief organizations that
have the expertise, staff and volunteers, and material resources
ready to respond.
In 2007, Kimberly-Clark joined the American Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program with a pledge
of $1 million over five years to support every day local, national
and international disaster preparedness and response programs.
In addition, Kimberly-Clark generally makes additional
contributions and works with a variety of international
humanitarian aid groups during times of disaster to ensure help
makes it to those in need.
Most recently, Kimberly-Clark responded to the devastating
earthquakes in Haiti and Chile.
The earthquake in Haiti
In January 2010, large areas of Haiti were devastated by a
7.0-magnitude earthquake, leaving 1.3 million people without a home
and many more in need of some type of help. Kimberly-Clark
immediately leveraged existing partnerships to support relief
efforts.
- Through the Kimberly-Clark Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund,
employees made individual and group donations to the American Red
Cross totaling approximately $216,000. Kimberly-Clark matched
those donations dollar-for-dollar.
- Through our non-profit partner MedShare, Kimberly-Clark
sponsored an 11-pallet shipment of medical supplies valued at
$125,000 to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Jimani, Dominican
Republic.
- Kimberly-Clark volunteers in the Dominican Republic
mobilized donations of much-needed health care products, diapers,
feminine care and tissue products.
- We provided 28 cases of diapers to His House Children's
Home in Miami, Florida, to support the care for more than 90
Haitian orphans who were in the process of being adopted by U.S.
families.
The earthquake in Chile
More than 1 million families found themselves in need of
assistance as a result of an earthquake that struck Chile in
February 2010. Homes, neighborhoods and entire cities were lost as
a result of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake.
Kimberly-Clark responded on several fronts to provide aid to
those who had been affected, focusing on the immediate needs of the
earthquake victims and on helping to heal the victims and rebuild
the affected areas of the country.
- Through our non-profit partner, MedShare, the Kimberly-Clark
Foundation sponsored the shipment of a large container of
much-needed medical supplies to Las Higueras Hospital in
Talcahuano, Chile.
- Kimberly-Clark Argentina donated 1 million diapers for the
youngest disaster victims through five different local non-profit
organizations.
- Kimberly-Clark employees in Chile volunteered their time to
relief organizations in the area to provide assistance to those in
need.
- Kimberly-Clark Latin America contributed $100,000 to the
non-profit organization Un Techo para Chile (A Roof for Chile) for
the rebuilding of homes in the southern part of the country.
- The Kimberly-Clark Foundation contributed $100,000 to World
Vision, who launched a national call-in helpline to address the
psychosocial needs of the Chilean people by providing support and
follow-through to assist in their recovery. World Vision also
established Child Friendly Places in the region to help regain a
sense of community as people dealt with the traumatic effects of
the disaster.
Even after a catastrophic disaster event has faded from the
headlines, Kimberly-Clark continues to monitor relief efforts
and provide assistance where we can. Recovering from a disaster can
be a long process and Kimberly-Clark is committed to being
there as long as we can.
