LyondellBasell Matagorda helps Boys and Girls Club in Bay City on Global Community Service Day

Company employees gave back last Saturday to communities around the world.

The old auditorium at the former Pierce Elementary began last Saturday (April 24) as a drab hall, but ended as a brightly painted game room ready to bring joy to children after approximately 30 LyondellBasell employees, contractors and family members completed their LyondellBasell Global Care Day project. Their goal was simple: Make a difference by giving back to the community. LyondellBasell’s 11th annual Global Care Day featured employee volunteers at facilities circling the globe who took on projects in their communities in order to make those neighborhoods better places to live and work. This year, 65 communities in 20 countries where the company operates benefited from Global Care Day, and a whopping 21 projects were in Texas.

 “Our employees at our Matagorda Plant are involved throughout the year, but Global Care Day is significant because it gives our employees, contractors, families and friends a chance to work together on a project that is above and beyond,” said Mike Wobser, plant manager at LyondellBasell’s Matagorda Plant. “We value being a part of Matagorda and this gives us a chance to work in partnership with our neighbors.” The new game room will be used by the Boys and Girls Club as a place for kids to gather and have some fun. Volunteers also painted along a walkway leading to the new game room and trimmed trees around the building. “I want to thank LyondellBasell and its employees for all of their volunteer work to help Boys and Girls Club,” said Janet Peden, board president. “They give back to the community and make this a better place.” Peden joined the volunteers by wielding a paint brush to help transform the room. While LyondellBasell continues to manage costs, funding was provided for project supplies. But the best contribution to the community is “sweat equity,” Wobser said.

 “We can provide the physical labor on projects that are most needed, and we can help organizations and communities that are struggling in today’s challenging economic times,” Wobser said.

Global Care Day began in 2000 as a way to reach out to local communities where the company operates. Global Care Day challenges employees worldwide to participate in community service above and beyond ongoing community involvement activities with a special project on the same day. Each participating site selects a project that meets the following criteria: It addresses a community need, it is aligned with one of the company’s community-relations focus-areas of education, environmental quality or community sustainability and the result will be a visible improvement because of employee involvement.