Frankfurt am Main/Bockum, Germany, September 10, 2010 –SOS-Kinderdorf e.V. and FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), today celebrated the opening of a new housekeeping department at SOS-Hof Bockum. To mark the official opening, guests at the ceremony were treated to a delicious meal, the first served from the department’s new kitchen.
As a project which promotes the social and professional integration of adults with disabilities, the SOS Kinderdorf facility in Amelinghausen, south of Hamburg serves an important role in the local community. FedEx donated US $90,000 towards the construction project which was required because existing kitchen and dining rooms no longer offered sufficient space for the increasing number of residents and support staff.
Last year, SOS-Hof Bockum and FedEx held an inauguration ceremony for a carpenter’s workshop, towards which FedEx contributed US $90,000 to fund the construction of the new facility. FedEx Express has supported SOS Children’s Villages in Germany since 2005 and has donated a total of US $390,000 to the organization.
“At FedEx, we are delighted that our support has helped SOS-Hof Bockum reach another critical milestone, celebrated today by the completion of another important and successful construction project,” said Bernhard Schloemer, Managing Director Operations, Central and Eastern Europe at FedEx Express. “It is very rewarding for us to see the tangible benefits of our donations which help strengthen the long-standing relationship between FedEx and SOS-Kinderdorf,” he added.
Manfred Persy, director of SOS-Hof Bockum added: “The donations made by FedEx have helped us to improve and expand our facility; for this we are very grateful to the company.”
The support given to SOS-Hof Bockum is just one example of FedEx commitment to corporate social responsibility. The company has adopted a wide range of measures which include social as well as environmental initiatives. This approach is described in detail in the “FedEx 2009 Global Citizenship Report”.
For more information on the report, please visit blog.fedex.com.