Dow Louisiana Operations Employee, Habitat for Humanity, Featured on the Cover of American Chemistry Council Magazine
For over two decades, Dow has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help provide affordable housing to families around the world. Dow has been a highly visible partner over the years - sponsoring dozens of homes annually, supplying building products, and engaging Dow employees as volunteers at local builds.
The cover story for the November/December issue of American Chemistry Magazine features one such employee - Jules "Ray" Holland, Senior Process Technician at Dow Louisiana Operations in Plaquemine.
Helping Build A Village
Ray, who works in Energy Systems at the Louisiana Operations site, has been a house leader on 14 Dow-sponsored Habitat for Humanity builds since 1999. The American Chemistry Council chose to feature him because of his history with Habitat and his involvement with the New Orleans Musician's Village build. The New Orleans Habitat build is providing a special community for musicians that were displaced by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Conceived by famed performers Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr., the village is designed to comprise 70 single-family homes built by New Orleans Habitat for Humanity and 10 rental units for the city's older 'music masters.'
The magazine's cover features Ray and New Orleans Jazz drummer "Smokey" in front of his home in the Musician's Village. The two will also be featured in an American Chemistry Council "Essential 2" poster that will be distributed to chemical companies across the US. Ray says, "My work representing Dow as a house leader for many Habitat for Humanity builds shows our company really cares about our communities. We're really concerned about making our communities better places for everyone."
Visit American Chemistry Council Magazine to view the November/December issue.
Celebrating 25 Years with Habitat
Dow was honored for its 25 year global partnership with Habitat for Humanity at the 2008 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project (JRCWP) held earlier this year. During the five-day event, Dow employees and customers joined hundreds of other volunteers to construct and rehabilitate more than 250 homes at building sites along the Gulf Coast in support of ongoing hurricane recovery efforts. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed or damaged more than half-a-million houses along the Gulf Coast in 2005 and recovery efforts have been slow.
International Community Builds
The JRCWP alternates between international and U.S. based locations each year. In the past decade Dow has participated in international building events in the Philippines, South Korea, South Africa, Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia Brazil and India. In 2006, Dow India employees joined over 2,000 volunteers to build more than 100 homes during the Carter Work Project. The 2009 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project will take place along the Mekong River in Southern Asia.
Dow's global partnership with Habitat directly impacts the Company's 2015 Sustainability Goals. By addressing the challenge of affordable housing in increasingly expensive markets, and in emerging geographies, Dow is helping to create stronger, safer, communities. Since its inception in 1976, Habitat has built more than 225,000 homes around the world, providing housing to more than one million people. Thanks to employee volunteers like Ray Holland and the thousands of others like him, Dow can continue to help build safe, affordable housing around the world.
Living the Human Element
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In addition to being featured on the cover of the American Chemistry Council's November/December publication and being the focal point of the Essential2Humanity campaign, Ray Holland was also selected for recognition in the "I am the Human Element" program at Louisiana Operations. His many years of involvement with Habitat for Humanity and his caring and concern for the local community were cited in his Human Element feature story for employees. Ray has also served as one of the Human Element "faces of Dow" in Louisiana. His photos have been used on Human Element posters, print ads and billboards throughout the state.
