Pitching in

The terrible effects of Hurricane Katrina bring out the best in Boeing employees

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to hit the United States. Boeing employees—past and present—showed their tremendous generosity by supporting Gulf Coast residents whose lives were literally torn apart when Katrina came ashore.

The outpouring of support has come from Boeing locations coast to coast, from Washington state to Washington, D.C.; from Mesa, Ariz., to Huntsville, Ala.; and from Southern California to Titusville, Fla., demonstrating just how remarkable Boeing people are.

At press time, financial contributions made by employees and retirees to the American Red Cross through the Employees Community Fund (ECF) totaled more than $3.8 million. That number, when combined with the $1 million Boeing corporate donation and grants from individual ECF boards and committees and Boeing sites, amounts to about $9.3 million in total Boeing contributions.

But the giving didn't stop there. In addition to financial contributions, Boeing employees have given of themselves in many other ways. Employees companywide have responded by donating nonperishable food items, clothing and other essentials to many local drives. They also have participated in volunteer opportunities coordinated by local Community and Education Relations representatives and local disaster relief agencies. Many employees also are volunteering through their churches and other affiliations and affinity groups.

Here's a sample of the many acts of giving across Boeing in response to Hurricane Katrina.

• Fort Walton Beach, Fla.: Employees conducted a food drive in support of their local Salvation Army, and coordinated a blood drive involving other local businesses in support of the American Red Cross.
• Macon, Ga.: Employees provided phone-line support for a fundraiser produced by a local television station, which raised $40,000 in support of evacuees being brought to the area. The local ECF committee matched local employee contributions to the American Red Cross via ECF—in addition to the match provided by the company. Macon employees supported local agency requests for volunteers and food and essential items to assist the approximately 1,200 evacuees expected in the area.
• Houston: Prior to their own evacuation ahead of Hurricane Rita, employees in Houston coordinated volunteer opportunities with NASA–Johnson Space Center and other industry colleagues through the Space Center Volunteers organization and arranged for the delivery of a large truckload of donated emergency supplies to three shelters, among other activities.