Social Resposibility

Thanks to its commitment to social responsibility, the company goes well beyond the attributes of a mere financial institution, making a substantial contribution to improving the quality of life, as well as ensuring the sustainability of its business, given that social responsibility is recognized as an important benchmark for corporate perpetuity.

Environment

Banestes has adopted simple measures with big results. Impressions on paper are being discouraged or ordered to use both sides. The canvas of advertising in desuse are recycled into bags and distributed to customers and employees, spreading the culture of recycling.

Banestes received in 2008 the seal Carbon Free, issued by non-governmental organization (NGO) “Iniciativa Verde” by neutralizing the emissions of greenhouse gases resulted from the completion of its biggest event, the company’s year-end party. Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) were compensated with the planting of 174 trees.

The Bank supported the 4th Water Forum of the Rio Doce from the Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB), with special focus on the watershed of the Rio Doce. In 2008, the Bank was a partner of the campaign promoted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Espírito Santo (Ales) in defending the environment, which aimed to encourage the population to demand local businesses the compliance with the Green Law (Law No 8745/2007). The Act requires commercial establishments to use oxy-biodegradable plastic bags to replace the common plastic bags.

The Green Law, approved by Governor Paulo Hartung in December 2007, established a deadline of one year to the shops replace the common plastic bags for oxy-biodegradable bags. According to the justification of the project, the production of plastic was increased by 20 times in the last 50 years and 90% of that production were discarded as trash.

Social Promotion

The social promotion is through partnerships with institutions that invest in educational projects, cultural and sports, with, for exaple, children and adolescents in a social risk. Banestes is partner of the following:

Associação Capixaba de Combate ao Cancer Infantil - Acacci
(Espírito Santo Association to Fight Children's Cancer)
Acacci is an NGO, recognized as a municipal public service entity, which provides comprehensive assistance for children and teenagers with cancer, facilitating diagnosis, enabling dignified and humane treatment, improving living conditions and increasing the chances of recovery.

Acacci social projects:

- Prover (Providing):
provides low-income families with financial and material resources in order to engage them in the treatment process.

- Núcleo de Apoio (Support Center):
houses children and teenagers from the countryside (and their companions) undergoing clinical treatment.

- Recrearte (Recreatino and Art):
games and activities that help children cope with their new situation, minimizing the emotional impact caused by the disease and the treatment.

- Conviarte (Handicrafts):
manual work and handicrafts for teenage patients and their companions, designed to alleviate emotional distress.

- Classe Hospitalar - Canto do Encanto (Hospital Enchantment Corner):
educational support for hospitalized children and teenagers, maintaining interaction with their schools.

Ação Comunitária do Espírito Santo - Aces
(Espírito Santo Community Action)
In 1994, a group of Espírito Santo businessmen committed to the state and concerned with the deterioration of the quality of life in Greater Vitória, set up Aces as a link between the productive sector and the community. In over a decade of operations, Aces has benefited more than 250,000 people in several municipalities, including several outside the metropolitan region. The institution's main objective is to promote the cultural, economic and psychosocial development of underprivileged communities through programs and projects based on the collaboration between corporate leaders and the community.

- Pequenos Talentos (Small Talent Project) - This program is designed to popularize classical and contemporary dance, raising children, teenagers and young adults' awareness of their intellectual, emotional and physical development by using dance as a means of encouraging their artistic skills and improving their self-esteem and appreciation of life.

Students participate in six nuclei in different regions of Greater Vitória: the Children and Teenager Support and Counseling Association - Vale Encantado; Crer com as Mãos (Believing with the Hands) Program - São Benedito; Vila Olímpica - Soteco; Child Service Center - Novo Horizonte; Social Counseling Center - Porto de Santana; CAIC - Feu Rosa and Carmélia M. de Souza Cultural Center - Caratoíra.

Several project graduates now have jobs as ballet teachers while other former students work in the project's own nuclei, such as Milena Siqueira, Iranildo dos Santos and Patrícia Cruz.

- Movimento - (Movement Project) - A cultural cooperation agreement between Aces and Banestes, which uses dance and music to provide 100 children and teenagers with the opportunity of developing their skills, perception, creativity, intelligence and imagination, strengthening the citizenship of youngsters at personal and social risk in the Vale Encantado (Vila Velha), Bela Aurora and Vista Dourada (Cariacica) communities.

Associação Feminina de Educação e Combate ao Cancer - Afecc
(Women's Cancer Education and Combat Association)
This organization offers specialized treatment, focusing on patients' overall well-being, including physical, social, psychological and spiritual aspects. Afecc undertakes around 281,000 consultations per year with public health system patients at the Hospital Santa Rita de Cássia.

Since its foundation more than 50 years ago, it has constantly sought to improve the health of patients suffering from cancer or chronic kidney conditions, and has developed a series of psychosocial treatment programs with the help of more than 300 volunteers, including Viva Sorrindo (Smile), Salão de Beleza (Beauty Parlor), Querer Bem (Wishing Well), Reabilitação da Mulher Mastectomizada (Rehabilitation of Post-Mastectomy Women), Clínica da Dor (Pain Clinic), Reabilitação do Paciente Laringectomizado (Rehabilitation of Laryngectomy Patients) and many others.

Centro de Apoio ao Cidadão - Cac
(Citizen Support Center)
The CAC is a philanthropic association whose volunteers provide services to HIV/AIDS sufferers through five programs, offering a series of benefits to low-income patients and their families, including food, diapers, medicine and hospital treatment, as well as handicraft workshops designed to generate jobs and income, leading to patients' reintegration into the family and the promotion of human values and citizenship through social, medical and psychological care. Its numerous programs and lectures are intended to educate, prevent the spread of the disease and reduce prejudice and discrimination.

- Mãos Abertas (Open Hands) Project: distributes basic staple baskets, diapers, medicine, milk and transport vouchers, enabling needy patients to proceed with their treatment and providing them with the minimum conditions for survival.

- Vida Nova (New Life) Program: receives low-income patients and monitors their hospital treatment.

- Sol (Sun) Program: prepares voluntary workers.

- ConvHIVer (Living with HIV) Program: develops HIV-prevention and educational initiatives.

- Recriart (Recreart) Program: focuses on human development and generating jobs and income.

Abrinq Foundation
A non-profit organization which defends children and teenagers' rights and promotes their citizenship. It is active on several fronts, including education, public policies, child welfare, volunteer work, digital inclusion, the prevention and eradication of child labor, the prevention of violence against children and teenagers and the strengthening of social services. The Abrinq Foundation is maintained by individuals, companies and national and international agencies, all of whom are dedicated to children's well-being.

- Cidade do Garoto (Kid's City) - Brazilian Society of Popular Culture; Cidade do Garoto is a non-profit philanthropic state and federal entity whose mission is to prepare needy youngsters for life, developing critical citizens who are aware of their rights and obligations and capable of controlling their own destiny. Cidade do Garoto serves more than 100 children aged between 6 and 14 from low-income districts in the town of Serra.

- Informática Solidária (IT Solidarity) Project: a workshop that provides over 100 children and teenagers with basic computer training, forming a bridge between social reality and technology.

- Capoeirando (Capoeira) Project: teaches capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, contributing to learning, physical development, the promotion of values such as respect and comradeship, and respect for Afro-Brazilian culture.

- Show de Bola (Soccer Show) Project: provides Cidade de Garoto youngsters with a safe space for sports and leisure activities, contributing to their healthy development.

- Artes nas Mãos dos Garotos (Art in the Hands of Kids) Project: offers artistic activities, fostering social skills, physical coordination, reasoning, creativity, inventiveness and artistic perception.

Comitê de Entidades no Combate à Fome e Pela Vida - Coep
(Committee of Anti-Hunger and Pro-Life Organizations)
Coep provides a space where various organizations can mobilize their members to create social projects, aimed at fostering the development of youngsters from low-income families through initiatives that complement the normal school activities.

- Terra Vermelha Children and Youth Chorus - through the Coep, Banestes supports the Terra Vermelha Youth Choir (Come and Be Project), which comprises around 100 children aged from 10 to 14 who live in the Terra Vermelha district and attend the Terra Vermelha State Basic and High School.

- Montanha da Esperança (Mountain of Hope) Social Project - This social project is the result of a partnership between Banestes Seguros and Sindirepa (the Espírito Santo Vehicle Repair and Accessory Association) and benefits 60 young people aged between 16 and 24 in the Cariacica district.

This partnership, called the Recycling Project, offers courses on bodywork, painting, mechanics and electricity to socially vulnerable youngsters, preparing them for jobs in the vehicle repair industry.

Material consists of scrap and unusable parts resulting from the repair of vehicles that have been involved in accidents. It is donated by Banestes Seguros and collected by Sindirepa from independent body shops and dealerships. Some of the material will be transformed into solid waste for recycling, while some items can be sufficiently repaired to be used as replacement parts.
o The Recycling Project is also supported by Sebrae - ES, Sesi, Casa do Menino de Campinas and Norton Abrasivos.