Newell Rubbermaid employees building homes around the world with Habitat for Humanity in new $1 million partnership
Twelve hundred employees volunteering at 73 sites in 21 countries for first-ever Global Day of Service
ATLANTA (June 19, 2013) – Today, Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL) employees around the world are building homes in partnership with low-income families to start a two-year, 1 million partnership with Habitat for Humanity International. To celebrate, Newell Rubbermaid will hold its first-ever Global Day of Service encompassing 73 volunteer sites in 21 countries, as 1,200 employees come together to share their time and talents to improve the communities where they live and work.
“We are deeply grateful for Newell Rubbermaid’s commitment to our mission to create safe, decent, affordable housing with low-income families,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “We are honored to be their first global nonprofit partner, and we are excited about their plans to involve employees and provide resources for our work. Together we will be able to help more families around the world live in decent homes they can afford.”
“Through our brands and our people, Newell Rubbermaid has long been committed to enriching the lives of the consumers and the communities we serve,” said Michael Polk, President and Chief Executive Officer of Newell Rubbermaid. “This is a day our employees can all be proud as we take a step back from our daily routine to share our passion for our brands and bring them to life through this new partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Collectively, when we each give a little we can help our communities gain a lot.”
Newell Rubbermaid’s two-year, 1 million commitment to Habitat includes cash and gifts-in-kind from its portfolio of brands, including Irwin, Rubbermaid and Rubbermaid Commercial Products. The company also will launch a cause marketing campaign benefiting Habitat beginning later this year.
Global Day of Service projects will take place around the world, including at more than 40 volunteer sites in the United States, as well as locations in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Australia, demonstrating the company’s commitment to helping improve the communities it serves. Newell Rubbermaid employees will donate their time and talents to bring the company’s purpose of helping people flourish where they live, learn, work and play to life, working alongside families to build, paint, landscape and weatherize homes as part of Habitat’s A Brush with Kindness program. They also will volunteer at Habitat ReStore resale outlets and participate in other local service projects.
Throughout the Global Day of Service, Newell Rubbermaid employees will share experiences as they volunteer with Habitat to improve their communities. To see real-time updates of employee volunteers in action globally via photos, videos and posts – from Melbourne to Shanghai, to Geneva, Sao Paulo and Atlanta – visit www.newellrubbermaid.com, like Newell Rubbermaid on Facebook and follow the company on Twitter @nwlrubbermaid or by searching #NewellVolunteers.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 600,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitat.org, or follow us at www.facebook.com/habitat or at www.twitter.com/habitat_org or join Habitat’s blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.
About Newell Rubbermaid
Newell Rubbermaid Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with 2012 sales of approximately 5.6 billion and a strong portfolio of leading brands, including Sharpie, Paper Mate, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Irwin, Lenox, Parker, Waterman, Rubbermaid, Levolor, Calphalon, Goody, Graco, Aprica and Dymo. As part of the company’s Growth Game Plan, Newell Rubbermaid is making sharper portfolio choices and investing in new marketing and innovation to accelerate performance.
This press release and additional information about Newell Rubbermaid are available on the company’s website, www.newellrubbermaid.com.