SAN RAMON, Calif., May 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Achievo(R) Corporation, a software outsourcing and information technology services provider, today announced it has organized a program to allow its employees worldwide, as well as other parties, to contribute to relief efforts for victims of last Monday's earthquake in Sichuan, China. Achievo has regional offices in Japan, North America, Europe and Greater China and is headquartered in the United States.
(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/200611291032.jpg )
"Since the earthquake was felt all over China, our immediate concern was for the safety of our fellow employees and their families," said Dr. Robert P. Lee, Achievo's chairman and chief executive officer. "Though Achievo does not have any offices in Sichuan, this disaster struck in a country where over three quarters of our employees live. Achievo employees from all over the world have expressed interest in supporting a company-organized effort to provide relief. I feel this impulse speaks to the human spirit that links us all. Even though the needs of the victims are tremendous, and whatever we can donate is small, this is our way of doing what we can as a company and as global citizens to say 'we care.'"
To get the fundraising drive started, Achievo Corporation is donating US$10,000 to the Shin Shin Educational Foundation ( http://www.shinshinfoundation.org ). Achievo chose this foundation because it is an established charitable organization and has already mobilized itself for earthquake relief. Shin Shin is run by volunteers and has very little overhead expenses. This means nearly 100 percent of Achievo's donation will go directly to fund relief programs. Additionally, this organization has donated and built hundreds of schools in China. Twenty-six of these schools are in the poorest parts of Sichuan province where relief is badly needed.
Achievo employees and others wishing to contribute to Shin Shin Educational Foundation are invited to make checks payable to the "Shin Shin Educational Foundation" noting that the donation should be allocated to "Sichuan Earthquake Relief" in the memo field of the check. In the United States, checks can be mailed to Shin Shin Educational Foundation, c/o Arlene Smith, Human Resources, Achievo Corporation, 2633 Camino Ramon, Suite 100, Bishop Ranch 3, San Ramon, CA 94583. Employees located in Achievo offices outside the United States should contact their respective HR departments for instructions regarding how to make contributions. Shin Shin Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and donations to Shin Shin Educational Foundation may be tax-deductible.
In addition to donating to Shin Shin Educational Foundation, Achievo invites employees and others to contribute to the charity of their choice. Additional money raised by Achievo will be channeled to selected relief organizations worldwide. As most countries have local regulations and tax laws regarding charitable donations, Achievo is asking each of its division's human resources departments to administer the fundraising drive and communicate more specific details regarding the fundraising drive to each employee, including which local charitable organization Achievo intends to work with and how to donate funds to these charitable organizations.
"Achievo's donation of US$10,000 is small relative to the total need of the victims," said Dr. Lee. "It is my wish that our efforts, combined with others from all over the world, will become a life stream that helps some of the victims through this difficult time."
About Shin Shin Educational Foundation
Shin Shin Educational Foundation was founded in 1997 in the San Francisco Bay Area with the objective to raise funds to help less fortunate school children in remote and despondent regions of China, providing a positive learning environment to complete basic education. Shin Shin means prosperous and is named after an old Chinese motto: "A group effort will bring prosperity."
About Achievo Corporation
Achievo Corporation is a leading provider of software outsourcing and information technology services to a global client base primarily through its regional offices in Japan, North America, Europe and Greater China. Five of Achievo's delivery centers in China are ISO-27001 certified, of which two are also ISO-9001:2000 certified and another is CMMI level 5 certified. In addition, Achievo's facilities in Germany are ISO 9001:2000 certified. With expertise in diverse technologies including Java/J2EE, .NET and embedded platforms, Achievo offers improved efficiencies, scale, diversification, and a skilled talent pool to deliver cost-effective, client-centric, and scalable IT outsourcing services to clients worldwide. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Achievo has offices in the United States, Canada, Germany, China and Japan. For information on the company and its services, visit http://www.achievo.com .
(C) 2008 Achievo Corporation. All rights reserved. Achievo is a registered trademark of Achievo Corporation in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
