People
Employ our strengths to support our communities and enhance the way people live, learn and work.
Use our strengths and competencies to address health, safety and education issues in our communities.
Bridgestone Costa Rica coordinates a range of social and volunteering activities, the goal of which is to drive development and inclusion opportunities for the community. These activities offer the company and its employees the opportunity to find solutions to social problems and have a positive impact on their surroundings.
In 2016, a Volunteer Survey was undertaken within the Bridgestone Latin America North (BS-LAN) region. 89% of our volunteers rated the company’s Volunteer activities as positive, and 98% stated their interest in volunteering again.
The Volunteering Program at Bridgestone Latin America North (BS-LAN) encompasses four major areas:
• Face-to-Face Volunteering (Campaigns)
Philanthropic efforts to help communities, in addition to providing resources and donations. Emergency aid is included in this area.
• Volunteering at Events
Groups of volunteers who implement or maintain infrastructure, in addition to donating any other articles necessary.
• Skill-Based Volunteering
Projects implemented by companies or NGOs with volunteers providing their skills, competencies and knowledge to benefit others.
• Entrepreneurial Volunteering
Promotion of employee leadership and entrepreneurship. Mid-term involvement through the implementation of employee projects, which the volunteer identifies and deploys with support from the program, and the alignment of long-term goals proposed during the implementation process.
In 2016, there were a total of 743 Volunteer and 2,997 volunteering hours, benefitting 48, 982 people. The year-on-year increases in volunteers and people benefitted were 69.24% and 127%, respectively.
No matter the Volunteer area, Bridgestone Costa Rica’s Volunteer programs are aligned with the three Priority Areas: Mobility, People and Environment.
251 volunteers,
1,013 hours
10,530
people benefitted
Mobility
Think Before You Drive
This is one of Bridgestone’s major Volunteer campaigns. The program is implemented at service centers, highways, universities and schools. The main goal of the program is to raise awareness about road safety and the importance of accidents prevention. The campaign includes road safety tips, as well as information about how to reduce traffic accidents, prevent dangerous driving and promote tire checks.
9,128
people benefitted
The program includes the following campaigns: Think Before You Drive for university students, Think Before You Drive for kids and Think Before You Drive for vacations (Spring Break, summer and Christmas). In total, these three campaigns had a positive impact on 9,128 people.
Seguro Llegas
In 2016, Bridgestone Costa Rica created this campaign to raise awareness about road safety among transport providers. Seguro Llegas offers safety and accident prevention information and recommendations, focusing on three main areas:
1. Avoiding Driving While Tired
2. Promoting Vehicle Maintenance
3. Promoting Tire Checks
The campaign was
implemented in
Puerto Caldera,
benefitting 800 people.
People
Books for All
This program coordinates the donation of educational textbooks for students. In 2016, 800 sets of educational textbooks were donated to two major schools in Belén: Fidel Chaves and Manuel del Pilar.
800 sets of books delivered through the “Books for all” program.
B-Happy
The B-Happy program coordinates the construction of playgrounds and recreational areas, reusing waste tires to benefit communities.
In 2016, two environmentally-friendly parks were built at Centro Integral Niños y Niñas Triunfadores de Heredia and Parque Vargas de Limón, where 120 waste tires were used to benefit 19,900 people. A park was also built in the Dominican Republic inside the Santo Domingo Salvo children’s home/school.
120 waste tires reused for the construction of two B-Happy parks benefitting to 19.900 personas.
Bridgestone Christmas
On December 10th, 2016, 30 volunteers from Bridgestone Cosa Rica organized a Christmas party for the Aguas Claras community in Upala, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Otto. During the party, the children took part in a Santa Claus play performed by the Bridgestone Theater Group, in addition to the games and activities organized by the volunteers.
Seventy electrical appliances were donated to the families, as well as food parcels for 250 people and 150 children’s gifts.
Brigada Bridgestone Upala
In 2016, 15 members of the Bridgestone Costa Rica Brigade joined forces with the National Emergency Commission (CNE for its acronym in Spanish) to help a community affected by Hurricane Otto, benefitting 15,000 people.
15.000 people benifitted thanks to the support of 15 Bridgestone Brigades.
Choir
Bridgestone Costa Rica has a volunteering program involving the members of its choir, who perform for the community on important dates. The goal of this group is to share Bridgestone’s values through music, bringing joy and entertainment to various institutions within the community.
Theater
Bridgestone Costa Rica has several theater programs in which its employees volunteer. The goal of this program is to raise awareness among children about road safety (Señales play) and the importance of cleanliness and disposing of waste properly, both at home and at school, to prevent viruses such as dengue and chikungunya (S.O.S. play).
In total, the two plays benefitted 1,080 people at 3 institutions.
Environment
To celebrate World Environment Day, a range of volunteer activities were organized, bringing together 80 adults and 20 children. The culmination of the activities was the inauguration of the collection center for Bridgestone employees and their families.
Reforestation
During the reforestation event, 50 trees and 30 bushes were planted around the Bridgestone Costa Rica plant to protect the biodiversity of the area and the plant’s green areas.
Environmental Workshop
The goal of this workshop was to recycle waste tires, teaching participants how to create a range of objects, such as plant pots, animal figures, dog beds, fountains and decorations.
Play
A puppet show about recycling was organized for children, teaching them about the importance of properly disposing of items once they reach the end of their life cycle.