GE and employees provide more than US$850,000 in monetary and in-kind donations
In the days following the Beirut explosion, GE Volunteers did what so many others in Lebanon did: they rushed to affected neighborhoods to help. GE Volunteers swept streets and cleaned neighbors’ homes, others made and delivered food. Many offered a sympathetic ear to fellow citizens in shock.
GE also marshalled its resources locally and globally and within 24 hours of the August 4 blast, GE made monetary donations to both the Lebanese Red Cross and the American University of Beirut Medical Center. In the days and weeks that followed, GE and its employees have provided more than US$850,000 in monetary and in-kind donations.
“This has been a remarkable grassroots effort by the team that has explored every possible channel available to them as individuals and GE employees,” said William Wakileh, President & CEO of GE Iraq and Levant. “The response has been tremendous, and I am so proud of the GE community for all the work we have done.”
Christine Aboufadel, part of GE’s finance team, said: “Seeing the streets we often walk and places that were once filled with life and celebration completely destroyed, has strengthened in us a sense of duty toward helping and supporting our communities. Whether sweeping debris and glass or connecting with the families of Beirut, it’s the least we could do.”
“The urge to help was automatic, because this is about the people being there for each other,” added Hind Hajjar, a Fleet Engineer from GE.
Nejem Dahabi, from GE Healthcare, said the large response from so many people provided a powerful lesson to him and his children: “by uniting, we can make a difference.”
Working with the Lebanese Red Cross, GE Healthcare is donating portable ultra-sounds, mobile x-ray units, infant warmers, and compact anesthesia and patient monitoring machines to four hospitals located near the explosion site. Much of their equipment was damaged in the explosion, so the equipment is urgently needed. The four hospitals include the Lebanese University Hospital Geitawi CHU, St. George Hospital UMC, Rosaire Hospital, and Karantina Hospital. In addition, ultra-sound equipment will also be donated directly to the Lebanese Red Cross
In addition, GE Foundation has pledged additional donations to the International Medical Corps (IMC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Contributions made by GE employees to these organizations are also being matched 100% by the GE Foundation. Already, hundreds of GE employees around the world have contributed donations to these organizations.
GE Volunteers facilitate and support volunteering activities that improve life and meet critical needs in the communities where GE people live and work around the world. These activities are carried out through a wide range of projects in the areas of health, education, the environment, and community-building.