From June 17-24, more than 600 employees of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC went to work outside the workplace, building homes, planting trees and cleaning public spaces, among other activities. From the U.S. Midwest to the West Coast, to communities in Canada and Mexico, they tackled diverse projects with a single goal: to make things a little better.

Their efforts took place in conjunction with the annual Knorr-Bremse/Bendix Values Day.

“We are truly humbled by the passion and enthusiasm our employees put into our Values Day every year,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “Bendix has a lasting commitment to strengthening our home communities worldwide, but it is only made possible through the selfless efforts of our employees.”

Supporting The Needs Of Local Families

On June 24, nearly 500 employees gathered at Bendix’s Elyria, Ohio, headquarters for the opportunity to help change the lives of four families. Bendix partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Lorain County, Habitat for Humanity of Medina County and Help Build Hope to frame four homes for families in need.

Bendix volunteers built the frames of the four homes and wrote personal messages in permanent marker across the wood. The houses, ranging from 1,150 to 1,250 square feet, were then disassembled, loaded onto a Bendix tractor-trailer, and donated as Habitat for Humanity homes ­– three for Medina County and one for Lorain County. Bendix delivered two of the Medina County Habitat homes to their construction sites. The third Medina County Habitat home and the Lorain County Habitat home went to storage for construction in 2017.

In addition to the Ohio house builds, Bendix made financial contributions of $1,500 per home, to fund new roofs for each.

The house builds are part of Local Care within the Bendix Corporate Responsibility program. Local Care fuels the company’s ongoing dedication to supporting communities and aims to grow active social involvement among employees through leadership and project management experience.

Continuing Tornado Relief Support

Fifteen hundred miles away, more than 80 volunteers from the Bendix Acuña manufacturing campus also helped build a new home, kicking off construction to aid the community in recovering from the damage of a tornado that struck Ciudad Acuña on May 25, 2015. An F4 tornado with winds estimated at above 200 mph tore through the area, destroying or severely damaging approximately 1,000 homes.

In collaboration with Casas por Cristo, Bendix volunteers spent four days constructing a safe and secure 450-square-foot home –­ the first of four that Bendix will help build over the coming months, complete with a cement foundation, electricity, windows and doors.

In addition to the house builds, Knorr-Bremse Global Care contributed 150,000 Euros for the construction of 20 homes to benefit families affected by the tornado. On the second day of the building effort, executives from Bendix and its Acuña campus participated, along with a representative from Knorr-Bremse Global Care.

Community Commitment

Volunteers at Bendix’s Kalamazoo, Michigan, research and development facility labored a full day on June 17 to impact the local community –­ placing the finishing touches on a home recently provided to a family by the Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers worked to sod, plant and seed a yard and landscape for the new home.

In addition, Bendix donated $1,500 to Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity to fund supplies and equipment for the day’s efforts.

Across the country, the Bendix team from one of the company’s research and development facilities in Santa Ana, California, spent a day removing litter from the coast of Huntington Beach, while colleagues in Vancouver, British Columbia, organized a canned good drive for the needy.

In addition, Bendix volunteers in Mexico City spent June 17 at a Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) orphanage. Three groups of employees painted interior areas of the home, cooked for the children, planted and harvested vegetables in the greenhouse and spent time with the children living there. NPH International cares for more than 3,400 children in its homes, situated in nine countries.

“Each of these efforts is uniquely impactful for the communities involved,” said Gutierrez. “Words can’t describe how thankful we are for the opportunity to help so many ­not only locally, but also in areas like Acuña that have experienced unavoidable hardship. We’re incredibly proud of the work our volunteers have put in.”