Caterpillar honored for volunteerism

Caterpillar was recently honored by an award for the volunteerism of its employees, earning the company the Bronze U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award.

Caterpillar received the award for logging more than 6,000 volunteer hours to Junior Achievement (JA) programs. Junior Achievement is supported by the Caterpillar Foundation with an investment, as well as volunteer hours from Caterpillar employees. Caterpillar is one of only 33 JA corporate partners to be honored with the award this year.

“The recognition from Junior Achievement is a tribute to the hard work and generous donation of time hundreds of our employees provide to support JA programs,” said Ed Scott, Caterpillar corporate treasurer and vice chairman of Junior Achievement of Central Illinois. “Our communities and our economies depend on a strong pipeline of students that are prepared to work, and that is why we invest in Junior Achievement around the world."

Junior Achievement's education programs help students in kindergarten through grade 12 learn and understand the importance of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and workforce readiness through interactions between volunteers and the students. Caterpillar employees volunteered in more than 400 classrooms spread across seven U.S. states. Outside the United States, employees volunteered a combined 2,700 hours to the JA in Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Panama, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

"Students are in need of critical financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship education. Our communities and our economies depend on a strong pipeline of students that are prepared to work, and that is why we invest in Junior Achievement around the world," said Jennifer Zammuto, Caterpillar Foundation Manager.

The U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award recognizes those who contribute a significant amount of time to volunteer services. In 2006, Junior Achievement became an official certifying organization for this award, allowing the organization to bestow an award to organizations within the U.S. that provide volunteers for the JA programs around the world.

The Caterpillar Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc. Founded in 1952, the Caterpillar Foundation has contributed more than $500 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by providing program support in the areas of environmental sustainability, access to education and basic human needs. To learn more about the global impact of the Caterpillar Foundation, please visit www.caterpillar.com/foundation.