Costa Crociere Creates Charity and Environmental Foundation

Costa Crociere, parent company of Costa Cruises, established the Costa Crociere Foundation, an independently run organization whose goal is to improve the social and environmental conditions in the communities in which Costa Cruises operates.

Costa Crociere Foundation evolved from social and environmental initiatives Costa Cruises has been involved in for many years. Under the auspices of the new entity, the company's activities in support of local communities will be more synergistic and coordinated.

Costa Crociere Foundation will continue to support Costa Cruises' ongoing initiatives and will fund new projects, starting locally in Genoa, where the company was founded, by mobilizing and encouraging philanthropic engagement among the company's partners and volunteerism among Costa Cruises employees.

One of the pilot projects will address homeless people in Genoa, a category of the population that is rapidly increasing due to the economic downturn in Italy. According to statistics, more than 50,000 people have already dropped below the poverty line and are sleeping on the streets in Italy. 

The homelessness project will have three main components. The first will provide permanent safe shelter for 10 to 15 people and supply basic necessities such as food security, access to social interaction and other services, such as assistance for the elderly. Secondly, professionals and trained volunteers will provide psychosocial assistance and customized educational, medical and legal support. The third component will raise awareness of this issue and seek to help the homeless regain self-confidence and dignity to enable their reintegration into society.

Engagement with Comunità di Sant'Egidio, an ongoing project for distribution of meals to disadvantaged people in Genoa, is an example of activities the foundation will undertake.

On the environmental side, the foundation's main objective will be to reduce marine pollution in the Mediterranean Sea by working in cooperation with local communities and encouraging people and businesses to reuse and recycle. Through education and raising awareness, the foundation will help consumers and partners understand the impact of plastic waste by adopting the Five-R Approach: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Redesign and Recover.

For more information, visit www.costacruise.com.