Dow Canada invests $294,235 to support resilient communities in Alberta

Dow Canada is pleased to invest $294,235 in cumulative funding for non-profit organizations across Alberta’s Industrial Heartland region and Central Alberta.

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In 2022 we celebrated our 125th anniversary as a corporation. To commemorate this historic milestone, Dow employees across the globe volunteered for a day of service or serve-a-thon worldwide – the first event of its kind at Dow.

Employees at all of our sites in Canada were out in their communities making an impact. In Calgary, the team tackled food insecurity by volunteering at the local Food Bank. Prentiss employees worked alongside our partner, Kerry Wood Nature Center to pack nature kits for kids. In Fort Saskatchewan a team went out to beautify our community, by planting trees and collecting over 150 pounds of garbage through #PullingOurWeight (see Advancing Sustainable Solutions below). Our St. Clair River site worked with long time partner, the Dow Wetlands, to plant trees. Lastly, the team at our West Hill site worked with the Scarborough Center for Healthy Communities at the Food Hub to distribute meals to people in need.

Creating a healthy planet is everyone’s role, and one of the smartest investments that we can make today is in actions that help create a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future for tomorrow.

Sustainability is both our responsibility and a driver of growth. On Earth Day and every day, we are committed to leading change within our industry and the markets we serve in pursuit of a fully sustainable economy.

To celebrate Earth Day this year, volunteers from across Canada participated in #PullingOurWeight, collecting over 1000 pounds of garbage. #PullingOurWeight raises awareness around responsible waste management with employees, communities, customers and key stakeholders. It continues to be the largest employee volunteer initiative for a single cause in Dow’s history and demonstrates our Company’s commitment to a cleaner environment and a better world.

#ShareYourPride was the theme for Pride Month 2022 at Dow, which calls for us to be visible and active representatives, allies, and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. It is also a celebration of our decades-long history of stepping up and taking action as a company and community members.

Pride month is part of our commitment to support inclusion, diversity, and equity in our community. Across Canada, we shared our pride with a pride flag raising at each location where we operate. The celebration did not stop there; our employees participated in parades, community events, pride flag sidewalk painting and educational workshops throughout the month.

Earlier this year, Dow’s St. Clair River site launched a program with Noelle’s Gift to Children to support equity in local schools. Noelle’s Gift was established in January 2013, in honour of a beautiful, dedicated caring volunteer and school teacher named Noelle Paquette. She recognized that there are many marginalized students who are victims of circumstances beyond their control and require assistance. Noelle was always aware of others in need and she believed every child deserves an equal opportunity to become a “Smash Hit” as she would often say to her students.

Through this project, Noelle's Gift to Children is building closets in Lambton County and Chatham-Kent schools. Dow funding will support the construction of the closets, and filling them with essential items like food, clothing, toiletries, sanitary products and other necessities that can be accessed discreetly by students in need. As well, Dow volunteers will be helping to assemble, deliver and stock the closets.

"This year, Dow is celebrating 125 years and we have a strong legacy of charitable investment in our region. Dow's former Sarnia site was the Company's first international location outside of the U.S., and now that we have a site in Corunna we will continue to invest in this community," said Amy Cunningham, Training Coordinator and Dow sponsor for the project. "We're excited to be working with Noelle's Gift to Children to ensure our local students have the resources they need to succeed."

The project was funded as part of Dow’s ALL IN ERG Fund, which allows the Company’s employee resource groups to apply for funding for non-profits who are addressing inclusion, diversity and equity needs in communities where Dow operates. Since the Fund was established in 2019, it has supported 37 projects in 20 countries worldwide.

“We are truly thrilled that Dow is supporting our new project,” said Michele Stokley, Noelle's Gift committee member. “Our goal is to build a closet for each school, with the wonderful help from The Carpenters Union Local 1256. We will be filling the closets with outerwear and essentials. This will ensure instant access for any child in need.”