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Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation Respond to Natural Disasters

Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO.) has a history of supporting communities that have fallen victim to natural disasters. The company made a financial contribution to the city of Chicago to assist in rebuilding after the great fire of 1871. And after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, LS&CO. extended credit to local businesses and kept employees on the payroll – even while the company headquarters and factories lay in ruins.

Today, LS&CO. and the Levi Strauss Foundation (LSF) respond to disasters that occur around the world in communities where the company has a business presence and where our products are manufactured. Disaster relief is supported through LSF grants, employee volunteerism and by matching donations made by LS&CO. employees to disaster relief organizations. LSF does not accept unsolicited requests for disaster relief grants.

LSF provides short-term relief grants immediately following a disaster to organizations already familiar with or working in the affected region(s). The San Diego Foundation’s After the Fire Fund, the American Red Cross, OxFam and Save the Children are recent recipients of these grants. In response to catastrophic disasters, LSF may also make grants focused on mid- to long-term recovery efforts. After the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, for example, LSF designated a significant amount of its overall giving for the disaster for mid- to long-term recovery. It focused on identifying the gaps in relief efforts and assisting marginalized communities that had been neglected by the larger-scale relief and rehabilitation efforts.

LS&CO’s employees also get involved with disaster response through volunteering and fundraising. Employees from our San Diego Levi’s® store worked with Volunteer San Diego to provide assistance to people and animals affected by the 2007 fires that tore through the region. After the 2007 earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province, the Hong Kong Community Involvement Team raised $96,000 for Oxfam, and LSF matched their donation.