We recognize that being a socially responsible member of the community requires maintaining an open door for dialogue with our community and actively working to support community needs.
Community Outreach
The plant participates in community and industry groups to discuss community expectations and concerns. Management meets monthly with the Citizen's Advisory Panel to La Porte Industry – a cross section of residents and other chemical plant representatives – and participates in various industry groups, such as the La Porte Plant Managers Network and the East Harris County Manufacturers Association.
Explore & Experiment
LyondellBasell's Explore & Experiment program offers employee volunteers performing hands-on science activities in local classrooms, sparking student interest in science. We also offer area teachers science-training workshops that help them use our Explore & Experiment curriculum in the classroom.
Global Care Day
Thousands of our employees, worldwide, work to make a difference in the world by joining this annual community-service day.
This year, our employee volunteers cleared existing rest areas and established new rest areas along the Monument Walking Trail at San Jacinto Battleground and Battleship Texas State Park. They also constructed an outdoor classroom for guided tours at the site.
Philanthropy
Our employees open their hearts and wallets to support local organizations. For example, they generously support local community-service agencies through an annual payroll-pledge campaign for the United Way.
Volunteerism
We encourage our employees' engagement in the local community.
In 2014, our site participated in 182 community activities, with over 2,300 total hours, volunteered by over 150 employees. We give back to the community in various ways, through both events, and year-long programs. Included were 102 that were targeted at the community, 16 that affected the environment, and 64 projects that impacted local schools.
Our educational outreach involved Junior Achievement, the Pen Pal Program, and our Mentoring Program. The Junior Achievement Program touches the lives of kindergarten and first-graders who receive lessons in money management, work ethic, and the value of an education. Our employees go beyond the scheduled classroom activities to help local students through the ongoing pen pal and mentoring programs. We also sponsored 25 local students by collecting and donating nearly $1,000 in school supplies. We believe a passion for math and science must be fostered at a young age, therefore, we frequently partake in science education programs, such as school demonstrations, science fair judging, and hosting science camp tours of our facility.
Reaching out to out senior citizens, our employees visited over 100 local nursing home residents to compete in fun-filled games. This is an event that always brings joy to the residents that we visit. In addition to the nursing home visits, our employees raise money for various non-profit agencies, donate holiday gifts to families in need, participate in a local city's Safety Fair, and accompany disabled people to the Wings Over Houston Air Show.
Our facility gave grants to environmental organizations, such as a foundation for a local bay, a regional trash bash, a large nature center, and an environmental institute at a local college; educational organizations such as two local education foundations and a community college's summer camp for 150 students to learn about industry careers; and community groups, such as the local shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, a museum of Texas history, and the La Porte Volunteer Fire Department. Our employees, as well as our company, also contribute to United Way each year.
Employees volunteer their time in leadership roles on local organizations, including the local LEPC (president) and the county's maritime security district; and by attending meetings of the local Rotary Club and chamber of commerce. Our leadership team regularly gives presentations and attends the local Community Advisory Panel (CAP).
Community-service Awards
The complex has received numerous honors for its community service. We annually receive the Caring for Texas Award which recognize both our environmental and community support. Together with the company's Bayport plants, the La Porte Complex was recognized by the city of Shoreacres with LyondellBasell Day in 2010. Other awards include the 2008 Industry of the Year Award from the La Porte Chamber of Commerce; the 2008 Houston Mayor's Proud Partner Award; and 2007 awards from Clear Creek Independent School District, the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Galveston Bay Foundation, and Harris County Precinct 2.