Weyerhaeuser Company

Rebuilding a Community Campaign

In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Weyerhaeuser Company's comprehensive and coordinated disaster response effort demonstrated the company's commitment to the communities where its employees work and live.

The Katrina response centered around three Mississippi communities, Long Beach/Gulfport, McComb, and Magnolia, as well as New Orleans, where retirees suffered damage. More than 500 employees resided in the counties and parishes that were declared disaster areas.

The support Weyerhaeuser provided enabled all of the company's operations in the affected area to be back in operation within two weeks of the hurricane.

The Program

Within days of Hurricane Katrina, Weyerhaeuser engaged senior management to oversee recovery efforts, authorized donations of cash and building materials, and had an experienced disaster coordinator on the ground in coastal Mississippi to assist employees and retirees in loss assessment, managing the maze of disaster relief organizations, and coordinating recovery efforts.

As part of its overall response effort, the company also established a Loaned Employee Program, an Adopt-A-Family Program, and an Employee-to-Employee Fund. For its efforts, Weyerhaeuser was presented the 2006 Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership.

The Impact

The Loaned Employee Program covered salaries, travel costs, and up to 60 days of living expenses for employees who participated in rebuilding projects.

It also paid the travel and living expenses for retirees and spouses who volunteered. More than 300 volunteers worked throughout the year on 50 homes, putting in approximately 40,000 hours. In addition, the company provided more than $250,000 of in-kind contributions for use in rebuilding homes and other disaster relief efforts.

To support employees and retirees affected by the disaster, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation reestablished its Adopt-A-Family Program. Initially developed for Hurricane Floyd, this program allowed teams of employees to support an "adopted" family by collecting and donating needed items such as clothes, toys, bedding, and personal items. Weyerhaeuser business groups throughout the U.S. and Canada adopted 40 families. The groups made a one-year commitment to assist their adopted family.

Employees could also donate to a fund helping other employees affected by Katrina (Employee-to-Employee Fund). Weyerhaeuser committed to match employee giving, contributing $100,000 in matching funds. Fill-the-box money receptacles were available at most Weyerhaeuser facilities in the U.S. to provide another convenient way for employees to contribute.

In total, Weyerhaeuser donated more than $1 million to disaster
response efforts:

• $500,000 from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation to the American Red Cross general relief efforts
• $231,340 from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation to community-based relief efforts
• $139,000 from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation to American Red Cross chapters across the United States for disaster preparedness
• $25,000 from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation to the Baptist Builders
• $92,000 in employee donations to the American Red Cross for general relief efforts, matched by $100,000 from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation.

Weyerhaeuser provided emotional support by extending its Employee Assistance Program benefits to include all members of the employee household impacted by the 2005 hurricanes for as long as necessary.  Assistance was available remotely to meet the immediate needs of those impacted before services had resumed in the affected communities.

Weyerhaeuser also dedicated a disaster relief coordinator to manage the overall disaster response. One of the most useful services helped employees navigate through the maze of post-disaster relief agency requirements and processes. The coordinator streamlined the process by working directly with the external relief agencies, closely tracked the status and progress for all affected employees and retirees, and managed the ongoing Loaned Employee Program.

The Difference

Eddie Williams of the North Carolina Baptist Men summed up the company's effort and effect succinctly: "I don't know of any other company that has done for its employees what
Weyerhaeuser has done. It speaks very, very highly of the company that they are taking care of their employees. I also don't know of any other company who has done what they
have to help the community, especially on the Gulf Coast."

The Lessons Learned

The success of Weyerhaeuser's work is evident in the lives it restored. To help other companies learn from Weyerhaeuser's experience, the company has created "Rebuilding a Community—an Employer's Guide to Assisting Employees," a guide detailing steps to create and implement a disaster relief program. The guide is available at a variety of online sources, including www.weyerhaeuser.com/katrina.

Why Weyerhaeuser Is Involved

Weyerhaeuser is committed to making the communities where it operates better places to work and live. The company was able to get its impacted operations quickly restored and make a difference in the lives of its employees and in the organizations serving the community. Weyerhaeuser is also committed to sharing its lessons learned with other companies and organizations through its "Rebuilding a Community" guide.

For more information, please visit: www.weyerhaeuser.com/citizenship

1615 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20062   (p) 202-463-3133   (f) 202-463-5308    (e) BCLC@uschamber.com

Additional Corporate Citizenship Programs Featured in BCLC's Disaster Recovery Report

Weyerhaeuser's Partners:

North Carolina Baptist Builders

 United Way of Pierce County, Washington