'Every1Counts' as Faurecia North America Employees Gear Up to Feed the Hungry in Local Communities

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Employees of Faurecia North America, the world's seventh-largest automotive supplier, next week will launch its fifth annual FUELS community food drive, a program that has provided more than 2.4 million meals since 2010 for hundreds of thousands of hungry residents across Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

More than 20,000 Faurecia employees from the company's 47 locations will participate in FUELS (Faurecia Unites with Employees for Local Service) throughout the month of September by gathering non-perishable items, as well as dollars and pesos to purchase food. Employees at many sites will hold special fundraising events to supplement their own contributions. All the food and funds collected will be donated to local food banks selected by Faurecia North America in each community where it operates manufacturing plants, offices or technical centers.

Faurecia and its employees realize the significant impact their efforts can have on local residents in need. The program's 2014 theme, "Every1Counts," reflects this commitment, recognizing that every volunteer, every meal collected, every dollar donated and every resident served count toward improving the lives and health of the communities that Faurecia employees call home.

"I am delighted by the progress the FUELS program has made over the past four years," said Faurecia North America President Mike Heneka. "Our results have grown exponentially with each campaign, and today FUELS is an important pillar of our company and of the communities that we call home. We understand that one measure of our own health is the wellbeing of the communities in which we live and work, and all of us at Faurecia appreciate that everyone counts in this effort."

In addition to coordinating employee donations, Faurecia North America will donate $500 to food banks associated with sites that meet their collection goals. For the sites that collect the most food per employee each week in September, Faurecia will contribute an additional $1,000 to their local food bank partner. For the two sites that collect the most food per person in the U.S./Canada and Mexico throughout the campaign, Faurecia will donate an additional $5,000 to each of their community food banks.

One in seven Americans, more than 46 million people rely on food pantries and meal service programs to feed themselves and their families, according to a study released this month by Feeding America, the nation's largest provider of charitable food assistance. The FUELS program aligns with Hunger Action Month, when the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks unites to urge individuals to take action in their communities.

"Despite all the social and technological advancements our nation has made, millions of Americans remain at risk of hunger right now," said Gerry Brisson, president of the Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, one of Faurecia's partners. "These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply can't always make ends meet and may be forced to go without food. The FUELS program serves as an inspiring example of how corporations and employee volunteers can work together to help those in need across North America's cities and neighborhoods. Lives are being sustained and communities are being strengthened by the people who dedicate their time, energy and resources to the FUELS program every year."

Weekly updates on contributions from every Faurecia location, along with photos, videos and stories, are issued through FaureciaFUELS.com, Facebook and Twitter.

About Faurecia

Faurecia is the world's seventh-largest automotive equipment supplier, with four key Business Groups: Automotive Seating, Emissions Control Technologies, Interior Systems and Automotive Exteriors. In 2013, the Group posted sales of $24 billion. As of December 31, 2013, Faurecia employed 97,500 people in 34 countries at 320 sites, including 30 R&D centers. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange and trades in the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market.

In North America, Faurecia had sales of $6.25 billion in 2013. It employs more than 20,000 people at 47 locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

SOURCE Faurecia North America