PPG completes first Colourful Communities charitable giving project in Europe

PPG Industries has announced the completion of its first ‘Colorful Communities’ charitable giving project in Europe, which helped revitalise the Cesare Arrigo Children’s Hospital in Alessandria, Italy.

The Colorful Communities programme, which PPG launched in May, incorporates employee volunteers, products and charitable giving to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world. The programme expands PPG’s investment in communities by committing an additional US$10M over 10 years.

The Cesare Arrigo Children’s Hospital project brought together 110 PPG employee volunteers from its Felizzano and Quattordio plants and its architectural coatings manufacturing facility in Cavallirio. Employee volunteers used SIGMA COATINGS® paint products, a PPG brand, to beautify the gates surrounding the hospital and they planted bright flowers in the gardens on its grounds, to create a more positive and pleasant environment. PPG awarded a grant of US$18,000 to Fondazione Uspidalet, a community organisation dedicated to promoting the well-being of patients at the hospital, to support the project. The work helped beautify the children’s hospital for its 125th anniversary, which the community celebrated June 13.

"The Cesare Arrigo Children’s Hospital is an important community institution and close to the hearts of our employees,” said Benito Sala, PPG plant manager in Quattordio. "We wanted to bring a bit of colour and excitement to the young patients and visitors and leave a tangible sign of our commitment to the communities where we operate and where our employees and their families live.”

PPG’s Colorful Communities initiative aims to enhance, protect and beautify the neighbourhoods where the company operates. Colorful Communities project support goes beyond grants. Together with community partners and PPG employee volunteers, the programme supports projects that transform community assets. Examples of Colorful Communities projects may include a school classroom makeover, conservation of a historical monument in a city centre or painting over graffiti in important community spaces. The Colorful Communities program is currently engaged with a number of communities and expects to complete more than 14 projects in 2015 in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

"We are excited to have completed our first Colorful Communities project in Europe,” said PPG Corporate Global Social Responsibility Executive Director Sue Sloan. "PPG employees around the world are enthusiastically embracing this new initiative and we’re all eager to see how the programme will make an impact and add colour in the global communities where we operate.”

The Colorful Communities programme is PPG’s signature initiative for its community engagement efforts. In 2014, PPG and the PPG Industries Foundation donated more than US$5.7M to hundreds of community organisations across 24 countries around the world. These investments focused on: education programmes that teach young people skills needed to succeed in studies and careers related to science, technology, engineering and math, such as jobs in advanced manufacturing; revitalisation programmes for buildings and community spaces; and organisations important to employees through grant and matching-funds programmes.

PPG Industries and the PPG Industries Foundation aim to create brighter, more colorful communities where PPG has a presence around the world. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in industries related to coatings and specialty materials. With the support of our workforce, financial contributions and PPG products, we help revitalise our communities. Plus, we empower PPG employees to make an impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving.