HanesBrands, Winston-Salem, N.C., has earned the CSR Footprint social impact award for supporting at-risk youth in El Salvador. As part of Hanes’ 10-year partnership with nonprofit Glasswing International, the company has donated more than $1.2 million to help upgrade schools’ infrastructure and aesthetics; offer after-school educational, athletic and artistic activities; and provide continuing training and development opportunities for teachers. More than 200 Hanes volunteers support the effort, which has benefited more than 5,000 Salvadorian children.
The CSR Footprint award is sponsored by the Grupo Cerca Publishing, and FUNDEMAS, a nonprofit that promotes corporate social responsibility to advance the economic and social development of El Salvador.
“Earning the CSR Footprint award for our work in El Salvador schools is an incredible honor for our company and our employees who help make it possible,” said Teddy Mendoza, HanesBrands’ regional manager of corporate social responsibility. “Reducing the student dropout rate is critical to improving the quality of life in El Salvador, and we’re very proud that the initiative is playing an important role in keeping at-risk youth safe and engaged in school.”
The effort is part of HanesBrands’ award-winning Hanes for Good corporate social responsibility program that focuses on workplace quality, philanthropy, community building and environmental stewardship. The company supports a variety of Glasswing programs in El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
“HanesBrands was one of the first companies to support Glasswing International, which has now served more than 1 million people in 16 countries,” Mendoza noted. “Our program in El Salvador’s schools is successful in large part due to our strong partnership with the organization.”
Glasswing’s research indicates that children who participate in its programs report improved grades (86 percent), an increase in self-esteem (85 percent) and better relationships with their families and others (92 percent).
For more information on Hanes’ CSR initiatives, visit www.hanesforgood.com. For more information on Glasswing, visit www.glasswing.org.