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Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C)
November 16, 2007
Global Citi Initiative in Brazil Benefits More than 1,200 Children
On November 10, more than 1,900 volunteers gathered to take part in Global Community Day, a Citi initiative held in the more than 100 countries where the bank does business. The objective of Global Community Day is to encourage volunteering among Citi employees, their family members, friends and partners to help improve the community. Global Community Day, which will occur on November 17, in other countries around the world, was held a few days before in Brazil in order not to coincide with the Proclamation of the Republic day. Global Community Day is expected to mobilize over 55,000 volunteers worldwide in 1,000 volunteering activities, in 600 cities, and 100 participating countries.
In Brazil, more than 5,500 people were helped by this initiative, including 1,271 children and 444 elderly through actions in retirement homes, daycare centers, and schools that were fixed up by volunteers. Additionally, 290 trees were planted in two town squares in the cities of Ribeirão Preto and Limeira, in the state of São Paulo.
The event comprised 25 activities, in 22 cities, in three states, and included the renovation and painting of schools, daycare centers, retirement homes, associations, hospital, planting of trees in town squares, recreational activities with children and the elderly, and financial education for the community.
In defining the priority projects, Citi encouraged its employees to select projects that will improve the community where they do business, further strengthening the integration of its employees in the region.
Gustavo Marin, CEO of Citi in Brazil, an enthusiast of the Global Community Day, and volunteer in São Paulo, said "Volunteering is an integral part of our Shared Responsibilities, a thoroughly disseminated concept at Citi. And this second Global Community Day reinforces this commitment, encouraging our team, family members and friends to make a difference through volunteering activities in communities where Citi is present."
Public School to Reopen this Saturday, November 17th
One institution benefited by the Global Community Day in São Paulo was the Dona Pilar Garcia Vidal State school, located in the São Mateus neighborhood, which will reopen tomorrow (Nov. 17), with the presence of more than 400 people from the community, including professors, parents and students from the school.
With help from 800 volunteers, 30 classrooms, one auditorium, three stairways, the entire flooring of the school, one patio and 600 classroom seats were painted.
The reopening ceremony will take place on November 17th, from 9:30 to 11:00 am. The school is located at Rua Pastor Agenor Caldeira Diniz, 48, in São Mateus (East Side).
Activities being carried out at each locality
| City | Action |
| Abadia de Goiás (GO) | Financial orientation to families in the community |
| Bauru (SP) | Afternoon tea with cancer patients at Manuel de Abreu Hospital |
| Belo Horizonte (MG) | Painting of the Lar Criança Esperança daycare center and Estaleiro Neighborhood Association |
| Brasília (DF) | Painting of the Cidade da Paz Foundation |
| Campina Grande (PB) | Recreational activities with the elderly from São Vicente de Paula Institute |
| Campinas (SP) | Painting of the Renovo Institute |
| Curitiba (PR) | Painting and fixing up of the Profª Olívia Nogueira Municipal School |
| Fortaleza (CE) | Recreational activities with children from the Lar Davis shelter |
| Foz do Iguaçu (PR) | Landscaping and cleaning of the Lar dos Velhinhos shelter |
| Imperatriz (MA) | Painting and construction of the vegetable pad at São Pedro School |
| João Pessoa (PB) | Distribution of food to homeless people who visit the Associação Metropolitana de Erradicação de Mendigação |
| Joinville (SC) | Medical care at the Dom Gregório Warmeling Community |
| Limeira (SP) | Planting of trees in the Jardim Caieiras neighborhood |
| Petrolina (PE) | Recreational activities with children from Casa da Criança shelter |
| Porto Alegre (RS) | Painting and fixing up of Sociedade Emanuel and the Tia Jandira and Palhacinho Triste daycare centers |
| Presidente Prudente (SP) | Painting and fixing up of the Profª Marieta Ferraz de Assumpção state school |
| Recife (PE) | Painting and landscaping of the Abrigo Lar Paulo de Tarso shelter |
| Ribeirão Preto (SP) | Planting of 160 trees at the rotary on Patriarca Avenue |
| Rio de Janeiro (RJ) | Recreation activities at the Lar Nossa Senhora da Glória elderly home |
| Salvador (BA) | Improve the vegetable plantation at the Ajuda Social à Criança daycare center |
| São Paulo (SP) | Fix up and painting of the Dona Pilar Garcia Vidal state school |
| Teresina (PI) | Cleaning of the Lar de Maria Institution |
Volunteer Work Program at Citi
Volunteering is nothing new in the day-to-day of Citi employees. The Organization possesses a Volunteer Work Incentive Program that has global guidelines aimed to encourage volunteering in the Organization, including a free day to perform volunteer work (the employee is paid normally for the day and spends his or her time outside the office providing volunteer work) and the Volunteer Work Management System (an online tool that allows identifying activities already programmed and controlling the number of hours dedicated to volunteer work). Additionally, when an employee completes 50 or more hours of volunteer work for a qualified entity within a 12-month period, Citi Foundation makes a US$ 500 donation to such entity.
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Citi
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