OREANDA-NEWS. HanesBrands (NYSE:HBI) announced today that it is committing funding for three additional years to Glasswing International that will result in an additional $1 million public-private partnership to provide critical youth services in El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

The partnership among Hanes, Glasswing and the U.S. Agency for International Development will directly result in the building and operating of a high school in San Juan Opico, El Salvador, that will allow area youth to continue their education past the sixth grade. Glasswing will also expand its youth services to the Dominican Republic.

The new high school for the Centro Escolar Las Flores community is critically needed because students cannot attend school past the sixth grade because of the danger and community conflicts associated with the nearest existing high school.

For the past six years, Hanes and USAID have supported Glasswing with more than $800,000 in funding to support Glassswing’s innovative community programs in El Salvador and Honduras providing youth with life-changing access to academically-enriching and safe afterschool activities at no cost. On a weekly basis, more than 300 Hanes employees donate their time to support the programs.

“Glasswing is an organization that smartly leverages existing resources to make a significant impact in the communities it serves and where we operate,” said Hanes Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard A. Noll. “Glasswing has been a fantastic partner in our efforts to build communities and improve the lives of our employees. We are looking forward to expanding this very powerful community improvement model to the Dominican Republic.”

Noll will formally announce Hanes’ additional three-year investment of $525,000 to support Glasswing International programs and the new school today at the annual Glasswing Gala in New York where the company will be honored. USAID will match the company’s three-year investment for a total amount of more than $1 million for Glasswing International.

Glasswing has helped improve the lives of more than 600,000 youth by renovating and equipping more than 550 schools to provide afterschool clubs that provide mentors and keep children safe and engaged after normal school hours. Glasswing also works with existing public health institutions to improve services to mothers and children.

As a result of Glasswing programs, 86 percent of participating youth improve their school grades, 85 percent experience increased self-esteem and 92 percent experience strengthened family and interpersonal relationships.

Hanes was one of the first corporations to support Glasswing, an organization that has designed a cross-sector approach to forge partnerships with international and local governments, corporations, nonprofits and civil society. It has grown from three employees to a team of more than 250 employees across the world in the last eight years.

Glasswing has directed more than $25 million to education, health and community empowerment programs with less than 5 percent going to overhead costs. Its projects are designed to strengthen communities’ existing resources when possible, such as public schools, hospitals, and health clinics. With a mission to empower individuals in developing countries to address the root causes of poverty and violence, Glasswing reinforces the role of volunteers as an accessible way of making a positive impact on the lives of children and youth in the region.

The partnership has played a role in the improvement of Latin American communities in which its Hanes employees live and work. The Las Flores school is located one of the world’s most volatile regions where violence and emigration have overwhelmed the population. Students are currently unable to continue beyond an elementary education because higher-level schools are located in an unsafe territory due to community disputes.

Hanes, Glasswing, the municipality, the Ministry of Education and parent groups will work together to build the new school, which will help students’ complete education through the ninth grade, the standard basic education in El Salvador. In preparation of the new school, Glasswing, Hanes and volunteers have been working for years with Las Flores school community by offering after-school programs, academic enrichment, competitions, and workshops with parents and teachers.

“Hanes is driven by a firm belief that doing the right thing is the basis for a successful business,” said Chris Fox, Hanes’ vice president for corporate social responsibility. “Through our Hanes for Good philosophy, we support corporate social responsibility through our ethical code, workplace practices, environmental responsibility and community outreach. We are grateful to partner with such visionary organizations as Glasswing and USAID to support the youth and future of Central America and the Caribbean.”

Hanes and Glasswing pioneered an award-winning education initiative which began with three public schools in El Salvador in 2010, and now includes nine public schools in Honduras. The program is expanding to the Dominican Republic next year. On a weekly basis, nearly 300 volunteers donate their time to this education program providing supervised activities during after school hours to help develop critical life skills.

“Hanes has been a crucial partner for us to develop our community schools model where the whole community, including parents, teachers, students, local governments and corporations, work in partnership to generate community pride, as well as safer and healthier schools where youths can thrive,” said Ken Baker, chief executive officer, Glasswing International. “The hundreds of Hanes employees who volunteer weekly in the schools are an inspiration to us and an example for other global businesses to follow.”