ExxonMobil provides continued support to Kuwait's leading caregiver

KACCH is a registered non-governmental charitable organization that provides social and emotional support for hospitalized children and their families.

The organization is run by a group of passionate volunteers and operates out of public hospitals with direct access to helping children and their families cope with the stresses of hospitalization by engaging them in educational and entertaining activities, as well as providing them with emotional support and care.

"ExxonMobil's continued support for KACCH is driven by the great work they do in caring for children in Kuwait's hospitals. This is our second donation to KACCH and, after seeing the impact of their work first hand, we feel we have a commitment to support them in reaching as many children as they can,"

said John Hoholick, President, ExxonMobil Kuwait.

ExxonMobil's contribution to KACCH is split in support of two initiatives. $10,000 are in support of KACCH's direct outreach to children in Kuwaiti hospitals, and $35,000 to an ongoing KACCH project called Bayt Abdullah (Abdullah's Home), a children's hospice which gives support to children who are terminally ill in a home-like welcoming environment. Contributions to Bayt Abdullah will go towards the development and formation of the hospice's computer lab. As an advocate of health, safety and environment, ExxonMobil believes in playing a role in supporting communities where it has offices or operations through its worldwide contributions.

"We are very happy that ExxonMobil is continuing their support for KACCH. In the past year we have continued to enhance our plans for KACCH and Bayt Abdullah and with the support of companies such as ExxonMobil and many individuals we are able to continue reaching out to children in hospitals to give them the care and attention they need while on the road to recovery,"

said Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer, Chairman, KACCH.

The Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospitals (KACCH) was founded informally at Amiri Hospital in 1989 to help children and their families cope with the stresses of hospitalization by engaging them in several educational and entertaining activities. Now KACCH has widened its reach to six additional state hospitals, and is managed by volunteers and funded by donations from organizations, businesses, banks, schools and individuals within Kuwait. KACCH was officially registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in 2003.

In 2004, KACCH moved to expand their efforts by creating the Bayt Abdullah Children's Hospice, to accommodate the needs of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families, in Kuwait. The hospice building itself is part of a continuum of care that offers children and their families the maximum freedom of choice without compromising the quality of that care, whether at home in hospital or within the hospice itself. This fully comprehensive service will offer day care facilities, residential respite, emergency and terminal care.

The design has focused on the needs of children and their families with the emphasis on an attractive, child-friendly, interactive environment and a comfortable, homely atmosphere, supported by trained, highly skilled pediatric nursing and medical staff.

In 2007, Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided combined community investments of $174m in cash, goods, and services worldwide. Our worldwide spending includes contributions to nonprofit organizations as well as funds invested in social projects through various joint-venture arrangements, production-sharing agreements, projects operated by others, and contractual social bonus arrangements.