Federal-Mogul Partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters Promotes Mentoring
18 September 1997
Federal-Mogul Partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters Promotes Mentoring
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Sept. 18 -- Federal-Mogul Corporation
today unveiled a partnership plan with Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Metropolitan Detroit promoting the mentoring of youth by employee volunteers.
"Mentoring goes to the heart of this country's social issues," said
Federal-Mogul Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dick Snell, who also serves
on the national Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
"Through our partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, we will make a
significant impact on children who need our attention. Our goal is to harness
the power of mentoring so that both the child's life and that of our employee
is more enriched from the experience. This is how we strengthen communities."
For more than 90 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been the
preeminent national youth-serving organization, based on a One-To-One(R)
relationship between an adult volunteer and a child at risk. Volunteers
serving as mentors and role models help children increase their self-
confidence, reach their highest potential, and see themselves, often for the
first time, as having happy and successful futures.
The key component of Federal-Mogul's partnership plan is The 5% Solution.
Starting at its World Headquarters in Southfield, Federal-Mogul is seeking to
get five percent of its employees and colleagues to become a Big Brother or a
Big Sister during 1997-1998. With over 600 employees at World Headquarters,
that translates to an aggressive goal of 30 volunteers within the year. The
One-To-One(R) relationship of being a Big Brother or a Big Sister matched with
a youth is at least a six-month commitment to meet weekly with the youth for
three to four hours.
Employee involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters was the underlying
theme in the partnership plan. To accommodate employees who want to
participate but cannot commit the time to a One-To-One(R) relationship,
Federal-Mogul will sponsor Mentor Days where an additional five percent, or 30
employees, will sign up to be "mentors for a day" with unmatched Little
Brothers and Little Sisters.
A day "job shadowing" helps children understand the business environment
and to learn about professional opportunities. Federal-Mogul's first Mentor
Day is November 12, 1997.
The partnership plan also includes events based on cultural and social
activities, most notably Federal-Mogul's Corporate Day at The Museum of
African American History in Detroit scheduled for November 15, 1997. As a
Corporate Associate supporter of the museum, the company has expanded its
Corporate Day to all Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Metropolitan Detroit.
This includes all 650 Big Brothers and Big Sisters in the Metro Detroit area
and their 712 Little Brothers and Little Sisters.
"We are very delighted Federal-Mogul has stepped up to this level of
involvement," said Joseph R. Radelet, executive director of Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit. "We are encouraged by their enthusiasm to
help children and their desire to make a positive impact in our community.
They initiated the partnership and are the first major corporation to commit
to this level of volunteerism."
The first year of the partnership plan includes at least 10,000 hours of
volunteer time from Federal-Mogul Headquarters' employees. The company plans
to roll-out its support of Big Brothers Big Sisters to all its locations
nationwide over the next year.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters have influenced the lives of over one million
children throughout thousands of communities in the United States. More than
500 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies nationwide match adult volunteers based
on the child's specific needs and common interests.
Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Federal-Mogul is a $2 billion
global manufacturer and distributor of a broad range of non-discretionary
parts primarily for automobiles, light trucks, heavy trucks, and farm and
construction vehicles. Visit the company's web site at
http://www.federal-mogul.com for more information on Federal-Mogul.
SOURCE Federal-Mogul Corporation
