Paris. At Chevrolet's Fashion Catwalk event in Paris today, Chevrolet Europe and SOS Children's Villages International announced the start of a European partnership aimed at increasing the mobility of the children in their care and their co-workers. SOS Children's Villages provides a loving home for orphaned and abandoned children, preventive support for families at risk of abandoning their children as well as educational facilities.
To kick this partnership off in 2011 – and to celebrate 100 years of Chevrolet – Chevrolet will give a hundred birthday presents to SOS: one hundred Chevrolet cars.
"Providing cars is the most natural way for us as a car manufacturer to help SOS. We hope that the vehicles can improve the daily lives of the kids and their caretakers," said Wayne Brannon, President of Chevrolet Europe. "We are proud to support an independent organization of the scope, dedication and commitment that SOS is demonstrating in both their daily work and their disaster relief programs."
The "Wheels for Kids" program will increase the mobility of the children and their SOS mothers as well as the ability of the SOS social workers working in the SOS Family Strengthening Programs to visit disadvantaged families in the communities.
"From the small city car to the seven-seaters, the Chevrolet cars will be highly appreciated for all different kinds of usages," said Richard Pichler, Secretary-General of SOS Children's Villages International. "The SOS mothers need to be mobile for the same reasons other parents do. They manage all the same challenges of running a large household. In our Family Strengthening Programmes our social workers go out into the poor communities to help families take care of themselves and of their children. Very often, these communities are remote and hard to access publicly. The mobility of all our co-workers is really crucial for us to be able to support children," Pichler explained
In a next step, the program is intended to be expanded to involve all Chevrolet dealers and interested customers. Car service support or educational opportunities through Chevrolet dealers as well as customer involvement programs are currently being developed.
At Chevrolet's Fashion Catwalk event it was also announced that a very special dress, designed for Chevrolet by renowned French haute couture fashion designer Frank Sorbier, will be auctioned in 2011 – Chevrolet's Centenary Year – with the proceeds to be given to SOS Children's Villages France
As part of Chevrolet's youth support programs, Chevrolet also organizes an annual art contest called Young Creative Chevrolet. This contest provides young artists a platform to grow through real-life projects and witness trips with role models in their field of applied art.
Photos taken at the event can be downloaded here: www.flickr.com/photos/youngcreativechevrolet/
SOS Children’s Villages is an independent, non-governmental, social development organisation that provides family-based care for children in 132 countries and territories and that advocates the concerns, rights and needs of children.
Approximately 73,000 children and young people live in 491 SOS Children’s Villages and 396 SOS Youth Facilities around the world.
More than 174,000 children and young people attend SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, SOS Kindergartens and SOS Vocational Training Centres. Moreover, the SOS Family Strengthening Programmes provide families with material, psychological and social support.
Approximately 450,000 people benefit from these family support services; some 489,000 people make use of the SOS Medical Centres. In times of crisis and disaster, SOS Children’s Villages helps through emergency relief programmes.
More information on SOS Children’s Villages can be found at http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org.