GE - General Electric Company
09/20/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/20/2021 09:08
GE Foundation Announces Grant to Provide Afghan Refugee Resettlement Support
Boston - September 20, 2021 - The GE Foundation today announced a donation of US$100,000 to support the relocation of Afghan families into communities across the United States. The donation will fund Team Rubicon, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that utilizes the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams following disasters and humanitarian crises. The donation will help the organization support the management and coordination of donated goods and distribution in various locations; site management and logistical support, including language services, COVID-19 vaccinations and visa services at arrival sites; and housing assistance for newly arrived families. In addition to the organization's donation, GE employees can support relief efforts through its Matching Gifts Program.
"It's our honor to support Team Rubicon and partner with GE's Veterans Network as we help the people of Afghanistan," said Linda Boff, President, GE Foundation, and Vice President, GE. "We hope that this grant will provide relief to Afghan families who are starting a new life."
Led by GE's Veterans Network, the entire GE team is working to help those impacted. To help the Afghan refugees, many of whom arrived with little more than the clothing on their backs, employees have created an Amazon Wish List with a variety of much needed clothing and the GE Aviation Team has organized a U.S. troops care package drive, where employees can purchase items online to send to deployed service members.
GE employees who make eligible donations to Team Rubicon or other participating charities can register for a match with the GE Foundation's Matching Gifts program, which supports employees' personal philanthropy and charitable giving by providing a 1:1 match. The GE Foundation created the concept of a corporate matching gift program in 1954. Today, the program continues to serve as an important element of the Foundation's portfolio, with gifts matched in 2020 totaling $16.8 million.
"We are honored to receive this grant from the GE Foundation," said Art delaCruz, Chief Executive Officer of Team Rubicon. "This generous donation will allow us to meet the needs of Afghan families as they begin their new lives in the US. It is our privilege to play a role in their resettlement."
GE's Disaster and Humanitarian Relief program responds to major global disasters and humanitarian crises, drawing on GE's people, technology and other resources to reduce suffering and hasten recovery. Since 2020, GE Foundation's philanthropic contribution in disaster relief totaled nearly $5.4 million, which was largely focused on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. GE remains committed to preparing for and responding to future natural disasters and humanitarian crises, diligently maximizing the impact of our financial, technological, and human resources.
About Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon serves communities by mobilizing veterans to continue their service by leveraging their skills and experience to help people prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. Founded following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the organization has grown to almost 150,000 volunteers across the United States and has launched nearly 1,000 operations both domestically and internationally. Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, Team Rubicon has not only pivoted to be able to continue to deliver disaster response and rebuild services in core mission areas but has also expanded their scope of missions to meet community needs brought about by COVID. Visit www.teamrubiconusa.org for more information.
About the GE Foundation
The GE Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by GE, is committed to transforming our communities and shaping the diverse workforce of tomorrow by leveraging the power of GE. Through Next Engineers, we are increasing the diversity of young people in engineering. In our hometown of Boston, we are working to improve workforce diversity, attack the opioid crisis, and drive STEM education in public schools. We are also inspiring others to act by connecting GE people with communities through our Matching Gifts Program and Disaster Relief. The GE STAR awards provide financial support to children of eligible children of GE employees for their achievements. Learn more at www.ge.com/foundation and follow us on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jeff CaywoodDirector, Headquarter's Communications
GE
+1 857 337 4101
+1 617 443 2993
[email protected]Joy Moh
Team Rubicon
[email protected]