The Bendix Foundation and Knorr-Bremse Global Care North America (KBGCNA) contributed money and donated solar panels to cool a children's home in Acuña, Mexico, where Bendix has operated a manufacturing facility for 35 years.
The two companies donated $107,350 in grant funding from Knorr-Bremse and $28,200 from Bendix, plus Bendix donated the solar panels for the project. The 136-panel rooftop photovoltaic system will generate electricity to run the HVAC units to cool Casa Hogar Esperanza during the area's hot summers.
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"Our support for Casa Hogar Esperanza and its children goes back many years and we're pleased to help meet their need for cost-efficient cooling," says Maria Gutierrez, president of KBGCNA and senior director of environmental, social and governance at Bendix. "The effort aligns with KBGCNA's larger mission to contribute to the well-being of underserved populations in the surrounding communities of Knorr-Bremse's North American companies. Making a positive difference in the communities we call home is incredibly important."
Casa Hogar Esperanza is operated by White Stone Ministries from Acuña's sister city of Del Rio, Texas.
"Depending on our financial situation, we are often unable to use the air conditioning units in each room, so during the daytime, it's usually extremely uncomfortable for the children and staff," says Ron Sherman, executive director of White Stone Ministries. "We would turn on the A/C units for only a few hours each night in order to make the bedrooms cool enough for the children to fall asleep. With the new system, we will be able to keep the entire home comfortable throughout the day and night, and probably spend less than $300 or $400 to do so."
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Bendix also purchased and installed two on-demand hot water heaters.
"In the cold months, we struggled to have enough hot water for all the children to shower each evening. Many times, we ran out of hot water long before the last group of children was ready to take their showers. Now, that problem is a thing of the past," Sherman says. "We are profoundly grateful for the investment of KBGCNA, the Bendix Foundation and Bendix into our organization and for helping us to provide a much more pleasant environment for the children while at the same time lightening some of the financial burden."
KBGCNA and the Bendix Foundation's support of Casa Hogar Esperanza began in 2014 when it helped fund the construction of a new house. The Bendix Foundation continued to support the house with general maintenance and repairs, as well as volunteers to help with activities to support the home.
White Stone Ministries took over operation of the house in 2021 and the Bendix Foundation assisted the home in reopening, providing legal and tax advice and funding projects in the home. Today, Casa Hogar Esperanza is home to 35 children, including one newborn.
"Everyone who contributed to the solar project for Casa Hogar Esperanza has done so with an eye on helping the home be self-sustainable, which is among KBGCNA's key goals for all the projects it supports," Gutierrez says. "The home was self-sustainability for itself — they are always thinking about how to maximize the use of the property — so this is a good partnership. We're looking at additional ways to help them and solidify the partnership further. KBGCNA is about funding projects, yes, but more than that, we want to create long-term partnerships."
