Albemarle Cares for Communities Around the World 

Dec. 17, 2024

In classrooms, food pantries, shelters, parks and more, Albemarle employees have supported neighbors in need with donations of time, resources and expertise throughout the year. 

“Albemarle embraces the communities where we operate and really embodies our value of care,” said Dave McDonald, director of the Albemarle Foundation. “Whether through corporate donations, team events or individuals seeing a need and meeting it, we’re proud to show our care for neighbors.” 

It’s been a year filled with opportunities to demonstrate our values within our workplaces and beyond. Here’s a look at just a few examples of Albemarle and its employees investing in communities around the world: 

Albemarle received a 2024 Volunteer Employer Recognition Award (VERA) from the Western Australian Government Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). This award acknowledges the important role employers and self-employed volunteers play in the delivery of emergency services across Western Australia, where more than 95 percent of emergency services personnel are volunteers. 

Albemarle was recognized for supporting employees who volunteer for emergency services by providing a flexible workplace. This flexibility allows volunteers to take time off work to respond to critical emergency incidents and participate in essential training. 

The Albemarle team in Western Australia launched its corporate volunteering program, with employees contributing 320 hours in 2024 to benefit the community. 

The teams supported 27 community organizations through its 2024 Community Grants Program. Among the recipients are The Leshenault Men’s Shed, which will use the grant for First Aid and Mental Health First Aid Training, and the Bunbury Regional Athletics Club, which will purchase sand pit covers to protect their long jump pits. 

In the Salar de Atacama area, Albemarle contributed to several community projects to assist in the preservation of community culture and offer resources for infrastructure, housing and education. 

One such effort is the restoration of homes in Catarpe, where many buildings are more than 150 years old, built in adobe, stone and mud, with roofs made of chañar beams, covered with tar and straw. Albemarle contributed to a project that identified seven houses to restore and repair, while maintaining their essential character. 

Additionally, with support from Albemarle, the community of Machuca inaugurated an extension of the photovoltaic plant, a sustainable installation designed to provide stable and reliable electricity to the community. It is projected that the plant can satisfy the energy needs of the community and also be able to enhance and improve services to tourists who visit the area, promoting the economic and social development of the community.  

“Best of all,” said Manuel Zamora, Albemarle’s community relations manager, “the plant will serve as a clean resource for the community, promoting the importance of renewable energy and environmental protection.”

Employees partnered with educational organizations to host job shadow days for students in Sichuan and Shanghai and a special career-exploration day in Jiangxia. These events helped students better understand the minerals industry, manufacturing and recycling.  

Albemarle Jiangxi also made a donation to the Red Cross Society's Bo'ai Home Rescue Station and surrounding communities in Fenyi County, Xinyu City, Jiangxi Province.  

Colleagues in Budapest prepared 100 sandwiches for the Budapest Methodological Centre of Social Policy and Its Institutions (BMSZKI), the largest homeless service provider in Budapest. Enthusiastic volunteers transported the sandwiches to the distribution center by trolleybus, showcasing the team's commitment and creativity in ensuring the sandwiches reached their destination. The BMSZKI’s "Street Service Team" played a crucial role in the effort, distributing sandwiches to homeless neighbors.  

Earlier this year, Budapest employees spent a day volunteering at a local dog shelter, where they painted fences and cleared debris for a dog run. 

Albemarle donated to the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul's annual "Uniforms for Kids" initiative in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to help students prepare for a new academic year. Employees at several sites donated school supplies for students in their communities.  

In Magnolia, Arkansas, Albemarle sponsored a back-to-school bash for students—complete with free haircuts and school supplies—and our team members participated in Magnolia High School's community pep rally. 

In October, Albemarle and its employees worked to help people who suffered devastating damage from Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. With food drives, cash donations and volunteer efforts, we made a difference in Kings Mountain and other communities building back after significant losses.  

And in just a few examples of holiday giving, Albemarle teams across the country assembled educational kits for Digi-Bridge, an organization that aims to ensure students in under-represented communities have access, opportunities and skills to succeed in a rapidly changing world. 

In Charlotte the Women Connect NC and Latinx Connect employee groups volunteered at the Salvation Army’s Christmas Center, organizing gift bags and re-stocking shelves where families can select holiday gifts for children. 

The corporate communications and external affairs team in Charlotte volunteered at Nourish Up, the largest network of food pantries in North Carolina. The group sorted donations and packed boxes that will be distributed to people across Mecklenburg County, the location of Albemarle’s headquarters. 

“Contributing to the community where we live and work is such a meaningful way to connect as a team,” said Colleen Penhall, vice president of enterprise communications.  “It also brings to life our core value of care – to help others in our local area who need it most.”