They first helped, now they have visited. 3M representatives at the Lifelong Learning Center

The money donated by 3M allowed the Lifelong Learning Center to organize Polish language courses for adults, which will allow them to integrate more quickly and adapt to the job market.

Additionally, the donation will fund day care centers for refugee children. On Thursday, May 26th, 3M board representatives visited the Lifelong Learning Center to meet with the staff and participants of the classes.

- 3M is a global company. While we operate around the world, we also operate on a very local level. Our support for the war in Ukraine started with our employees and ensuring their safety. We also made a donation to the city of Wroclaw, which eventually went to the Continuing Education Center. It is helping to educate Ukrainian refugees to learn the Polish language and we hope to help them integrate into the local community. So this is a great example of 3M acting on many levels. We're happy to be here today and see the impact our support funds have had. It further shows us what more we can do to be a partner in this community - said Eric Hammes, 3M Executive Vice President.

By the end of the year, one thousand people will have learned the basics of the Polish language at the Lifelong Learning Center

The participants had the opportunity to see how Polish lessons are conducted, what the common room for children looks like, as well as other training rooms, used for example for training in first aid and caring for the sick.

- Thanks to the 3M company and the grant we received, for which we are very grateful, so far we have organized 26 Polish language courses for war refugees from Ukraine. Additionally, we opened a day care center for the children of the course participants, which is thriving. Currently we have about 600 course participants, but by December we plan to have trained about a thousand people. The teachers do their best to make sure that each of the course participants is able to conduct a short recruitment interview, deal with issues in an office, write a short CV. In addition to Polish language classes, we also offered short courses such as care for the elderly and legal assistance on the Polish market. We are really happy because refugees and their children feel at home in our center. I think we are doing a great job - says Monika Kaczkowska, director of the Lifelong Learning Center.

Some of the funds donated to the city by 3M were also given to the 15th High School. As a result the refugees at this school can also count on Polish language courses, psychological-educational support and career counseling. The necessary teaching materials were also purchased.

The Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, the recipient of the 3M grant through the Global Giving Foundation, actively participated in the project.

Active support since the beginning of the war

By the end of March, nearly 3M employees had donated more than $436,000 through the Emergency Relief Fund in Ukraine. The corporation declared to double the amount donated by employees, so that more than $872 thousand was allocated to meet the basic needs of victims of the invasion of Ukraine. This provided them with food and shelter, as well as access to education and psychological support.

3M has also committed an additional $2 million from the 3Mgives program to directly support relief efforts for the people of Ukraine. These funds will provide financial assistance to non-profit organizations that are actively meeting the needs of Ukraine. In turn, 3M business groups are donating - through humanitarian organizations - medical supplies for doctors and other workers helping those in need. These include state-of-the-art wound care systems for surgeons at hospitals in Kiev, including dressing materials, hearing protectors for children and nearly 400,000 dust masks.

3M community committed to helping

Polish 3M employees are also involved in helping the refugees in many ways. Not only do they donate financial and material support, but they also help with transport or receive refugees in their own homes.

At various 3M locations in Poland collections of hygiene products, medicines and food are being conducted. In Wrocław, 3M is working in cooperation with the Wrocław City Hall and the Wrocław Agglomeration Development Agency.

3M has also financed the purchase of clothes for a group of young football players from Kiev, who came to Wrocław in February for a football tournament, but the war kept them in Poland for longer.

In addition to the implementation of specific actions, the company also has systemic solutions supporting the aid activities of its employees. Volunteers can take an extra day of vacation for this purpose. In turn, employees from Ukraine are provided with free psychological support in their own language.

3M is also showing its support in a symbolic way - in both Wroclaw locations flags of Ukraine are flying on masts - next to Polish flags and flags with 3M logo.

30 years of business activity of 3M in Poland

3M Poland Sp. z o.o. is a technology and production company, a branch of the international 3M concern. The company has been operating on the Polish market for almost 30 years. It has invested here over 650 million dollars. Using science and acting in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, it creates innovative solutions to improve the quality of life of people around the world.

3M currently has 4 manufacturing centers in Poland: two in Wroclaw, one in Janinów near Grodzisk Mazowiecki and one in Rabka, which employ over 4,500 people. The company's headquarters is located in Kajetany near Warsaw.

The 3M Innovation Center has been operating in Wroclaw since 2013. It is a space where the company presents new technologies and solutions. In turn, since 2016, the 3M Shared Services Center for Europe, the Middle East and Africa has been operating in the capital of Lower Silesia. On the other hand, the 3M Training Center was opened here in September 2017. The concern offers around 12,000 products within 4 business groups: Safety & Industrial, Transportation & Electronics, Healthcare, and Consumer Products.