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June 23, 2018

In Service of Something Greater Than Themselves

Today, on UN Public Service Day, we recognize our people, like Yanna Valdez, who are active members in our host communities

Margajita River

Dominican Republic

Yanna Valdez (third from left), Communications Specialist at Barrick’s Pueblo Viejo mine in the Dominican Republic, has helped build 85 houses with the Chilean non-profit TECHO.

Today marks the annual United Nations Public Service Day, which celebrates the value and virtue of public service to the community. Barrick is committed to developing long-term mutually beneficial partnerships and continuing engagement with local communities through acts of public service.

Yanna Valdez, a Barrick Communications Specialist at the Pueblo Viejo mine in the Dominican Republic has seen first-hand the impacts of public service through her work with TECHO. TECHO is a Chilean non-profit that works across Latin America to diminish poverty through the construction of transitional housing and the implementation of social inclusion programs.

Valdez joined Barrick in 2012 and has been volunteering with TECHO for over eight years. Since the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010, Valdez has helped build 85 houses with TECHO in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica.

“I think there was a time in my life when I felt that I was doing many things, but none of it really fulfilled me,” she says. “Then a friend told me she was going to build houses in Haiti. A few hours later, I was in a bus heading to the Haitian border with a group of TECHO volunteers. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

For Valdez, participating in public service is much more than giving back to local communities. “The thing about TECHO, is that it’s not just about building houses,” she says. “That’s just the starting point of a long-term plan to lift people out of poverty.”

Nevada

A team of volunteers from the Turquoise Ridge mine pour a concrete pool for two rescued bears at a local non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center in northern Nevada.

Valdez’ work is just one of many examples of Barrick people giving back to local communities and creating sustainable benefits through acts of public service. Last year, several Barrick people assisted with the disaster relief services in Peru after mudslides left homes flooded, people homeless, and infrastructure destroyed near our Lagunas Norte mine. In Nevada, near our Turquoise Ridge joint venture operation, our people built a wildlife swimming enclosure at a local non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center in 2016. At our Hemlo mine near Marathon, Ontario, our people collect non-perishable food items each year for a local foodbank and also make a financial donation to the foodbank.

Through these acts and many other acts of public service, Barrick recognizes the importance of building strong community partnerships in the success and sustainability of its business.

Hemlo
Ontario

Volunteers from Barrick’s Hemlo mine near Marathon, Ontario, collected more than 3,800 non-perishable food items for the local food bank.

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