Alcoa grant benefits St. Stephen Elementary

  • Posted: Monday, January 14, 2013 2:47 p.m.
    UPDATED: Thursday, January 17, 2013 2:44 p.m.
Junior Achievement board members Greg Barrett, Geret DePiper and Dee Davidson, also an Alcoa employee, join St. Stephen Elementary Principal Dr. Elaine Norton, Alcoa employees Mike Rousseau and Yvonne Infinger, and JA Executive Director Chad Vail in celebrating $13,000 in surprise grants awarded from the Alcoa Foundation.<br />
Junior Achievement board members Greg Barrett, Geret DePiper and Dee Davidson, also an Alcoa employee, join St. Stephen Elementary Principal Dr. Elaine Norton, Alcoa employees Mike Rousseau and Yvonne Infinger, and JA Executive Director Chad Vail in celebrating $13,000 in surprise grants awarded from the Alcoa Foundation.

Leaders from Alcoa's Mt. Holly plant recently presented two surprise grant checks, $10,000 to Junior Achievement and $3,000 to St. Stephen Elementary School, from the Alcoa Foundation on behalf of Mt. Holly employee volunteers.
During the Alcoa Worldwide Month of Service in October, 14 Alcoa employees participated in "JA in a Day," teaching five JA lessons about business and economics to third, fourth and fifth grade classes at St. Stephen Elementary.
JA was selected to receive the surprise $10,000 grant through an Alcoa Foundation initiative for non-profits with whom Alcoa employees volunteered during the Month of Service. The grants bolster the volunteer work of thousands of employees given to the communities in which Alcoa operates.
"Alcoa is a leader in connecting business and education," said JA Executive Director Chad Vail. "These funds speak volumes about Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation's commitment to ensuring students are prepared to succeed and to be good citizens in the community and in South Carolina.
“This support will enable more programs specifically in the St. Stephen community."
Through the Alcoans Coming Together in our Neighborhoods program, St. Stephen received a $3,000 grant for Mt. Holly's volunteer efforts at the school. The program recognizes employee volunteer groups by awarding grants of $1,500 and $3,000, depending on the number of employees and hours volunteered, to the charitable organizations they serve.
"Our partnership with Alcoa, which began over six years ago, has been phenomenal," said Dr. Elaine Norton, St. Stephen Elementary School Principal. "The recent project with JA was an awesome opportunity for our students, and as a result several Alcoa employees have come back to volunteer again and adopted classrooms.
“I believe in the Chinese proverb, 'It takes a village to raise a child,' and we are so fortunate to have Alcoa in our village."
In 2012 Mt. Holly employees have completed 32 group volunteer projects with community organizations across the Trident region. Volunteer teams earned $34,500 in ACTION grants for the organizations where they volunteered during the year, including the Habitat for Humanity, Lowcountry Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House and The Nature Conservancy.