The building materials providers says that, as the coronavirus began to spread across the US in March 2020, CEMEX USA employees sought opportunities to help by identifying non-profit organisations providing critical relief and proposing grant requests to the CEMEX Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm.
The grants delivered by CEMEX USA employees have provided more than a quarter million meals to those facing food insecurity and overall have positively impacted more than 200,000 people across California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida.
“COVID-19 has created far-reaching impacts and unparalleled challenges, prompting thousands of families to request additional support for food and shelter while they continuously worry about the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones,” said CEMEX USA president Jaime Muguiro.
“The help provided by non-profits right now is critical, and we are proud to be able to deliver significant support for their initiatives that are making a difference in our communities.”
Over the past year, in addition to meals, the donations helped fund the development of more than 20,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff and first responders on the front lines of the pandemic. With the additional funding, non-profits were also able to continue to fund shelter and education programs as well as provide financial support for those in need.
Among the non-profit organisations awarded grants was United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) in Birmingham, Alabama. The UWCA serves as the go-to resource for people in need throughout Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties through their network of partner agencies and programmes.
Also receiving funds was Feeding South Florida, in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach, Florida. The grant has helped provide 70,000 meals to those experiencing food insecurity in South Florida. CEMEX’s partnership with Feeding South Florida dates back to 2017 with CEMEX volunteers packing enough food to create more than 17,000 meals.
The donation to Feed the Frontline Houston in Houston, Texas supported the organisation’s work in helping local restaurants and feeding health care workers and vulnerable populations, including school age students at risk of food insecurity caused by the pandemic.
Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF) in Lyons, Colorado received grant money that helped support five human services programmes in Lyons through LEAF including the Lyons Community Food Pantry, Lyons Meals on Wheels, Basic Needs & Resource Matching, Mental Wellness & Addiction Recovery and Lyons Volunteers.
The House of Refuge in South Mesa, Arizona maintains multiple homes, a chapel and office building to provide transitional housing and wrap-support programmes to families experiencing homelessness. The donation helped support the non-profit’s mission during the pandemic, delivering funding to help provide those in need with case management services, food boxes and assistance in finding employment.
The Heart of Los Angeles Youth (HOLA) in Los Angeles, California provides at-risk youth with access to free programmes in academics, arts and athletics to help fully develop their potential. In light of COVID-19, they seek to mitigate disruptions in student education, economic stability, and mental well-being.
Along with the grants, CEMEX USA has sought other opportunities to support communities during the pandemic, including holding virtual events that benefited more than 1,600 educators and students. Throughout the pandemic, CEMEX USA has continued to seek additional opportunities to provide community support.
