Disaster Relief and Recovery

The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation changes lives and renews communities by supporting safe shelter and emergency relief programs, primarily in Weyerhaeuser operating communities. Grants for disaster response have been used to renovate homes damaged by hurricanes in the Gulf region, upgrade fire equipment, and improve medical and fire communication services.

Hurricane Katrina

This one-of-a-kind program involved Weyerhaeuser volunteers in everything from hanging sheetrock to installing plumbing to removing debris. Employees partnered with North Carolina Baptist Men, a faith-based volunteer group with a mission to rebuild more than 600 homes in the Gulfport, Miss., area.

• Nearly 300 Weyerhaeuser volunteers came from throughout North America to the Gulf Coast through the loaned-employee program. Weyerhaeuser Company covered salaries plus travel costs for employees who participated in rebuilding projects.
• Volunteers repaired, rebuilt, or built homes for more than 50 employees, retirees and other community members, volunteering more than 45,000 hours.
• 128 employee and retiree families were assisted through our disaster relief programs, and all have been resettled in their own homes.
• Weyerhaeuser's and the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation's disaster relief efforts for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita totaled more than $2.8 million, including efforts through the Adopt-A-Family, Employee-2-Employee, and Loaned-Employee programs; more than $1 million donated to relief agencies; and $275,000 in building materials donated to the Baptist Builders and others.
• Weyerhaeuser dedicated a disaster relief coordinator to the effort and developed and shared publicly an employer's guide to helping employees in a disaster.
• Weyerhaeuser received the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership at a White House ceremony for our contributions to the hurricane recovery effort.