Giving Back: Second 'teamGM Cares Week' Shows Commitment to Volunteerism

DETROIT, Sept. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Communities and nonprofits across the country will receive a helping hand from General Motors' employee volunteers from September 9-13 as part of the company's second annual "teamGM Cares Week." From packing food and building homes to cleaning up beaches and neighborhoods, approximately 75 projects will be undertaken. 

"Helping others is as much a part of our company culture as building the world's best vehicles," said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. "We have the ability to make a difference and we are committed to doing so."

Examples of projects that will take place during this week of service, or during other specially designated volunteer times, include:

California

• Sept.12: Volunteers from GM's office in Thousand Oaks will clean Zuma Beach in Malibu as part of California's Adopt-A-Beach Program.

Florida

• Sept. 11: Chevrolet's Florida/Caribbean Zone team is partnering with the Miami Dolphins to create care packages for troops serving overseas.

Indiana

• Sept. 9-13: The GM Components Holdings team in Kokomo will complete a variety of projects with the United Way, Kokomo Humane Society, School Corp and Rescue Mission.

Michigan

• Sept. 12: Roughly 400 employees from GM's Tax Staff and Cadillac Global Marketing will partner with the Brightmoor Alliance and other community organizations to fight blight near the Gomper's Elementary school in Detroit.
• Sept. 12 and 13: U.S. Sales Operations will have 400 volunteers assisting Habitat for Humanity Detroit with neighborhood cleanup efforts in the Morningside Commons community. The GM Foundation and Diversity teams will help build two homes in the same community.
• Aug. 27: The Lansing Delta Township Quality Engineering team made and served meals at the Ronald McDonald House in Lansing.

Mississippi

• Sept. 9-13: GM's Parts Distribution Center team will help prepare for Hurricane Season by partnering with Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network to set up HAM radio Emergency Stations in Jackson.

New York

• Sept. 10: GM's Asset Management team in New York City will volunteer with the Central Park Conservancy to complete a variety of projects in Central Park.

Ohio

• Sept 12 and 13: The GM Parma Metal Center will prepare and pack food at the Cleveland Food Bank.

Tennessee

• Aug. 24 and Sept. 21: The Customer Care and Aftersales team adopted a neglected cemetery in Capleville and will clean the graves of military veterans, including cutting the lawn and trimming around the grave markers.

Texas

• Sept 13: The Arlington Assembly Plant team will paint a home for Trinity Habitat for Humanity as part of the "Preserve A Home" project in Fort Worth.
• In Austin, volunteers from IT will work at the Capital Area Food Bank.

West Virginia

• Sept 10: GM's West Virginia District Managers will help the Gabriel Project, an organization devoted to assisting low income mothers, by sorting clothing and food donations, as well as assisting with administrative tasks.

"While 'teamGM Cares Week' underscores our pledge to giving back, our employees volunteer all year long for the nonprofits and causes they are passionate about," said Sabin Blake, global marketing manager for Cadillac, head of the teamGM Cares program. "Each year, the program gets stronger which signifies the ever-growing commitment from our teams."

In 2012, the 3,652 teamGM Cares Volunteers who chose to track their volunteerism recorded 37,790 hours of service. Through the company's "Dollars for Doers" program, the GM Foundation provides a $200 grant per year to eligible nonprofits each time an employee contributes 50 hours of service to the organization.

To learn more about the teamGM Cares volunteers, visit www.teamgmcares.com. For more information on the charitable work of the GM Foundation, visit www.gm.com/gmfoundation.

About General Motors Co.
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.  GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

About the GM Foundation
Since its inception in 1976, the GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to American charities, educational organizations and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on supporting Education, Health and Human Services, Environment and Energy and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates. For more information, visit www.gm.com/gmfoundation.

SOURCE General Motors Company