GE Commercial Works on Project for Children in Chicago

Volunteers from GE Commercial Insurance are helping to make the world a little safer for children on Wednesday, Oct. 22. That’s when a Project Safeguard safety retrofit will be held at The Parkway Community House (500 E. 67th Street, Chicago, Ill., 60637).

The event is being held in conjunction with the Protecting People First Foundation (PPFF). GE Commercial Insurance employees will install safety and security film – donated by Llumar Magnum Security Window Film – on windows to diminish the dangers of flying glass, replace light bulbs with shatter-resistant GE bulbs and secure heavy objects that could fall in a disaster. They’ll also do general cleaning and repair jobs at the Center.

“Risk mitigation is our business, and we are bringing that focus to the community with Project Safeguard,” said Louis Parker, president and CEO of GE Commercial Insurance. “Whether the risk is from severe weather or acts of violence, Project Safeguard demonstrates how simple, preventive measures can reduce children’s exposure to risk.”

Following the retrofit, volunteers and partners will gather at 12 p.m. for a ceremony at The Parkway Community House featuring PPFF spokesperson Aren Almon-Kok. Almon-Kok co-founded The Protecting People First Foundation in memory of her daughter Baylee, who was killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City terrorist attack. The Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of firefighter Chris Fields carrying Baylee’s lifeless body from the Murrah Federal building became a memorable symbol of the Oklahoma City bombing.

The Protecting People First Foundation joins with GE Commercial Insurance on Project Safeguard to help the Foundation achieve its mission to educate the public about the dangers associated with flying glass.

“Flying glass can travel as fast as 300 feet per second, and it’s a risk that’s often overlooked,” said Almon-Kok. “Through the Protecting People First Foundation and companies like GE Commercial Insurance, we can bring together the necessary resources to raise awareness about this urgent issue and make things safer for our children.”

Since it was founded in 2000, Project Safeguard has reportedly enhanced safety for more than 1,700 children in childcare centers in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Florida, Indiana and London, England.

Other companies contributing to the safety retrofit are GE Consumer Products (GECP) and CP Films. GECP is providing GE Saf-T-Gard(R) shatter-resistant light bulbs while CP Films is providing safety and security film.

GE Commercial Insurance is a division of Employers Reinsurance Corporation, a GE company.