Helping to Rebuild a Community

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Berlin, Germany - 9 November, 2011 - More than 20 volunteers from Bombardier – the largest number from any company – took part in a community project in New Orleans to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Twenty-five employees who participated in the American Public Transport Association (APTA) Expo 2011 in New Orleans volunteered for the St. Bernard Project during the APTA Community Service Day, on October 6.   The St. Bernard Project is a non-profit organization, sponsored by United Way. It was established in March 2006 to rebuild homes within New Orleans’ St. Bernard Parish, a community comprising 27,000 homes and 14,000 businesses. The onslaught of Hurricane Katrina six years ago destroyed all of these homes.   Bombardier’s volunteers spent the day working in two groups to help the ongoing rebuilding efforts. To date, volunteers for the project have rebuilt more than 352 homes with another 47 under construction.   Mary Jones, one of the residents whose home Bombardier helped to rebuild, said: “I want to thank Bombardier volunteers for coming to take the time to help me move back into my home. I'm so overwhelmed with the fact that the St. Bernard Project organization was able to help me and able to get these volunteers from all over the world. And it's giving me some closure because the past six years have been overwhelming.”   Bombardier Transportation was officially recognised as the company with the highest number of volunteers taking part in the Community Service Day.   Raymond Bachant, President, Bombardier Transportation North America said: “A huge thank you to all who participated. We had a global representation with colleagues from Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada and USA, who were in town for the APTA Expo and decided to lend their support to this incredibly worthy cause. This demonstrates that together we can make a real difference to the communities in which we work.”   The volunteering effort reflects Bombardier’s strategic commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. As a responsible corporate citizen, Bombardier invests in initiatives and organisations that contribute to the prosperity, well-being and sustainability of the communities in which it is present.   In line with its commitment to provide financial support through donations and sponsorships, Bombardier announced during the APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO that it has joined the American Public Transportation Foundation's "Takes Us There" campaign. The campaign aims to educate the public about the many benefits public transportation provides to individuals and communities.