COVINGTON, Ga. - Michelin employees donated detergent Tuesday, July 23 to Project ReNeWal, a domestic violence intervention program, to help victims of domestic violence move into safe housing. 

In anticipation of the rain, Project ReNeWal opted to arrive at Michelin with two enclosed vans to transport 12 fully-loaded boxes of detergent back to their office. The detergent was donated by the Michelin employees, from their personal funds, as a way to give back to the community they work and live in.

“I’m so proud of the Michelin family of Covington,” Lloyd Thurmon, Michelin facility personnel manager, said. “I’m proud of our employees who take the time to go out and contribute and donate to this worthy cause. We couldn’t do it without them. We couldn't do it without our activity team. We couldn’t do it without Gwendolyn Wright, who actually runs this project.”

Gwen Wright, Michelin project leader, handles all the labor work for the partnership between the company and Project ReNeWal. The partnership between Michelin and Project ReNeWal began two years ago, and each year, the employees donate the most needed item requested by the program.

“I’d like to say we’re trying from a Michelin standpoint to give to the community, to help in anyway that we can,” Thurmon said.

Michelin “absolutely helps the community,” according to Vickie Stevenson, Project ReNeWal executive director. In 2018, Stevenson stated that 3,896 women and children came through the program for assistance. 

“We greatly appreciate it [the donations],” Stevenson said. “It is priceless to our families and to the community because we’re trying to build stable families and stable families build stable communities.”

Project ReNeWal helps victims of domestic violence in Rockdale, Newton and Walton County.