LyondellBasell surprises each Fairview Elementary student with a gift
Published 1:00 pm Tuesday, December 19, 2023
- (Emily Burleigh / American Press)
Fairview Elementary’s Partner in Education, LyondellBasell, made it a mission this holiday season to give “surprise and joy” to the students of the school, said David Schrutka, site manager of LYB Polymers Site, Lake Charles.
The older students had the opportunity to choose one gift from a selection of toys like puzzles, building blocks, dolls and board games, to name a few. Younger students were hand-delivered gifts by Santa, who traveled classroom to classroom.
“We are very excited about our recently formed partnership with the school, and we look forward to providing support and mentorship for the students.”
The partnership between LyondellBassell and Fairview is recent. In October, representatives from LyondellBassell’s Latin Employees Advancing DEI (LEAD) program donated $20,000 to the school to financially support their English as a second language programming.
He said giving back to the students at Fairview for the holidays is a vital step in solidifying the connection.
“It was very important for us to reach out to do something for them, and certainly with a newly-founded partnership.”
LYB was able to gather all of the presents in one week with the help of LyondellBassell employees and an employee network that values diversity, he said. That value in diversity is important altruism aimed at a school that has a “mix of students that speak various languages,” he said.
As a school with a strong ESL program, about 60 percent of the students are Hispanic, with over 300 students speaking Spanish.
“At LyondellBasell, our values define who we are and by championing our people, we promote equity and support our communities. Thanks to the generosity of our Lake Charles employees and the hard work of our employee networks, we have been able to gather and provide a holiday gift for every student at the school — that’s more than 500 children.”
This was no small task, but those at LyondellBassell said they are passionate about their prioritization of providing for Faireview students through their partnership with the school.
They look forward to continuing their work and fostering a deeper relationship with the school in the new year.
