Lowe's 2004 Annual Report Download - page 19

Lowe’s 2004 Annual Report Page 17
Our focus on investing in the future of our business
goes beyond our stores or the products on our
shelves. At Lowe’s, we know that our greatest asset is
our people, and we’re making investments in them
as well. We added a Human Resources Manager in
each of our stores to improve store staffing, enhance
training and help communicate the long-term career
opportunities we offer employees. We believe that
our new training initiatives provide every employee
with opportunity for advancement and to learn
skills that help them do their job better, which in
turn improves our customer service and the
shopping experience for our customers.
In addition, Lowe’s, its employees, vendor partners
and customers joined forces to raise more than
$22 million to contribute to important community
projects and relief efforts. As national partners with
the American Red Cross, Lowe’s and our customers
donated more than $1.5 million in cash to aid
victims of the four hurricanes that devastated the
southeastern United States in 2004. Lowe’s employees
from unaffected stores traveled to impacted areas and
worked day and night ensuring our stores were
staffed to help customers. Employees also worked
closely with emergency officials throughout the
disaster to help prepare and rebuild storm torn areas.
In addition, the Lowe’s Employee Relief Fund
distributed nearly $900,000 in emergency aid to
employees whose homes were damaged.
Lowe’s is proud to be a national partner of Habitat
for Humanity International (Habitat), an organization
that helps provide housing for families around the
globe. In late 2004, Lowe’s worked with Habitat on
its largest operation to date, to provide relief to the
thousands left devastated by the Dec. 26, 2004,
Indian Ocean Tsunami. More than 1,000 stores
became cash donation sites, and including a Lowe’s
matching contribution of $1 million, employees
and customers donated over $2 million, enough to
build more than 1,200 homes in affected areas.
Here in the United States, Lowe’s Charitable and
Educational Foundation awarded more than $3 mil-
lion to nonprofit organizations for education and
community improvement projects across the country.
Our efforts to keep families safe in their homes
continued in 2004, as we joined with our vendor
partners to raise $12 million for The Home Safety
Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
helping prevent injuries at home. Through the
Lowe’s Heroes program, an employee volunteer
initiative, Lowe’s employees helped The Home Safety
Council reach thousands of homes with safety
products and information.
Lowe’s is also committed to helping protect our
environment and uses its leading retail position to
help educate customers about how the small choices
they make at home can have a big impact. Lowe’s is
proud to have received the highest honor given by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
Department of Energy for a third consecutive year
when we were named the ENERGY STAR®
Retail Partner of the Year in 2005. With nearly
eight million ENERGY STAR qualified products
sold at Lowe’s in 2004, customers will save nearly
$95 million on energy bills per year and reduce
pollution equivalent to removing more than
100,000 cars from the road.
Seize the Opportunity
With a $2 million commitment
in 2004, Lowe’s became the
national underwriter of
Habitat’s Women Build
program, which encourages
women to learn construction in
a supportive environment while
helping families in need build
better futures for their children.
Lowe’s involvement with
Women Build is a reflection of
our commitment to address the
nationwide issue of substandard
housing. We will continue to
support Habitat and the
Women Build program in 2005
with an additional $2 million
and the helping hands of our
employees.
We are proud of our employees for their hard work
and for making customer service a focus
in each of our stores. We are also thankful for their
continued generosity in their gifts of time and
financial support to enhance the communities
where we do business and help those in need.