Annually, the Novus offices in North America band together for a fundraising campaign to help support organizations in their communities through the United Way. Events ranging from raffles to bike rides to a special golf tournament brought employees and business partners together to give back.
"It's a fun and exciting time around the office every year," said Jeff Klopfenstein, president of the Methionine Business Unit and Novus's United Way committee co-chair. "But the amazing thing is that a few weeks of work by Novus can help people in our community all year long."
Novus was able to support the United Way through a combination of employee donations, business partner sponsorships and company matching. As part of its effort to cultivate sustainable people, Novus matches causes and charities of significance for its employees dollar-for-dollar. This year, Novus employees across North America including its Missouri, Arkansas and Texas offices and field employees raised more than $125,000 which was matched with company funds.
"We believe in being an active participant in our communities as an organization and supporting our employees who give their time and resources to help others," said Francois Fraudeau, president and CEO of Novus.
The biggest contribution this year came from the St. Louis office, with a significant portion of the funds being utilized directly in the Greater St. Louis area, the site of Novus's global headquarters.
"Because of the support from Novus and its employees, 1 million people in our area are helped each year by United Way supported agencies—that's 1 in 3 people in 16 counties throughout Illinois and Missouri," said Orvin Kimbrough, president of the United Way of Greater St. Louis. "[Our] mission is to mobilize the community with one goal in mind—helping people live their best possible lives. The support from Novus is helping local people build the foundation for a good quality of life through education, health, basic needs, financial stability and strong communities."
On the heels of a previous fundraising effort to support those affected by Hurricane Harvey earlier this year, Novus organizers were unsure if they would still be able to meet their fundraising goal. But, Novus employees exceeded expectations with their generosity.
For more information about Novus and its employees, visit www.novusint.com. For more information about the United Way, visit www.unitedway.org.
