Visteon Investing in the Future of German Children
15 September 1999
Visteon Investing in the Future of German Children
FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 15 -- Today, Visteon announced the
first of many global community investments intended to help children
throughout the world see the possibilities in their future.
In a partnership with the International Youth Foundation (IYF), the
Visteon "See the possibilities(TM)" Fund is providing a $500,000 grant to
sponsor programs that give young people in Germany opportunities to learn life
skills, develop leadership in serving others, and maximize their contribution
to society. The partnership is the first of many global corporate initiatives
to be supported by the "See the possibilities" Fund.
"At Visteon, supporting communities around the world where we do business
is a key value," said Visteon President Craig Muhlhauser. "Through the 'See
the possibilities' Fund, we made a commitment to provide children with
resources and opportunities to see the potential in their future -- and we're
pleased to launch our first global effort in Germany."
In Germany, Visteon will support effective mentoring programs. These
projects, to be selected by Visteon and IYF's local partner, the German
Children and Youth Foundation, benefit young people by helping to develop
their character, confidence, and sense of belonging.
Visteon employees, including members of the Visteon Leadership Team, will
play a strong role in shaping and directing the partnership. Employees will
help determine grants, and will serve as volunteer advisors and mentors for
children participating in programs selected for grants.
Visteon is also a corporate sponsor of the Global Partnership for Youth
Development -- an effort convened by IYF, the World Bank, and the Kellogg
Company. Through this corporate sponsorship, Visteon is supporting research
of effective children's programs, and based on this knowledge, is working with
IYF to further develop and enhance these programs in select regions of the
world.
Although this is the first corporate initiative in Europe, Visteon is
actively involved in supporting children's programs at several European plant
locations. The Visteon plant in Wuelfrath is one of 12 plants worldwide
participating in a "See the possibilities" Fund pilot program. The plant
pilot program empowers teams of employees to select and allocate funds to
children's organizations in their communities. The Wuelfrath plant team
recently made a donation to a local football program that builds positive
self-esteem for its young participants. Additional grants will be announced
later this year.
"We chose Germany for our first corporate investment because it is one of
our key business markets -- we have plants in Berlin, Dueren, and Wuelfrath,
as well as offices in Cologne, Frankfurt, and Wolfsburg," said Muhlhauser.
"We know that our employees and the communities in which we do business will
benefit by having a strong, stable future generation of leaders."
The Visteon "See the possibilities" Fund was created to enrich the lives
of children by supporting community-based organizations that recognize the
needs of children and offer sound programs to address those needs. In
addition, Visteon provides information and resources for all employees to
encourage volunteer involvement with children's organizations in their
communities.
With a global delivery system of more than 125 technological,
manufacturing, sales and service facilities located in 21 countries, Visteon
is leveraging the talents of its 77,000 employees to deliver innovative,
consumer-driven systems solutions to its customers.