Zero accidents. Zero incidents. Zero mishaps. That's our mission. And we've rolled out an innovative safety program to help enable Mohawk facilities across the country meet this goal. It's all about creating a culture of prevention. Everyone is responsible for being safe, all the time. The results? From 2010 to 2011, our recordable incident rate improved by 43%, and our lost time rate decreased by 11%.
For the past seven years, Mohawk has been ranked among the top 125 training organizations by Training magazine and in 2012 was a part of the elite top five category. This prestigious ranking reflects our commitment to organizational development—from the plant floor to the C-suite. We offer training both online and in the classroom, and we've been especially commended for our outstanding training on product knowledge and customer needs. Through our training efforts, we've created an environment where individuals can grow and thrive—personally and professionally.
During every new hire orientation, new Mohawk employees learn the essentials of our Greenworks™ program. They learn about the core components where they can have an immediate, direct impact: reducing waste (in production or from personal use), reusing material (from scrap paper to personal protective equipment), and recycling material (paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic).
We've developed leading-edge health care initiatives for employees and their family members. For example, we offer on-site health care at no cost to employees, spouses, and dependent children. It's a powerful way to address the needs of the 40% of our employees who do not have primary care physicians. To make care and counseling more easily accessible, we also provide on-site dental vans, mobile mammography, and health care coaching. Comprehensive benefits are offered to all employees working 20 or more hours per week (hourly or salaried) who have been with us for at least 90 days.
Mohawk sponsors nearly a dozen Relays for Life in the communities where we operate manufacturing facilities. These 24-hour, round-the-clock walk-a-thons raise funds for cancer research and patient support. Mohawk employees organize teams to participate in each event, and we're typically the largest corporate sponsor at each event. The Relays for Life represent just one of many ways that Mohawk and our people partner together for progress.
In a joint effort, Mohawk and our U.S. employees donated more than $2.7 million to more than a dozen United Way chapters in 2011, helping to improve lives in our local communities. Mohawk is also the founding sponsor of the United Way of Northwest Georgia's Make a Difference Day initiative. For the past eleven years, the third Saturday in October has been dedicated to volunteerism—and Mohawk's leadership has resulted in more than 58,000 volunteer hours associated with Make a Difference Day alone.
Each year, the Foundation awards grants to dozens of non-profit organizations in the communities where we make our products, with the goal of improving quality of life for our people and their families. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are donated every year to causes including early childhood education, special needs children's education and welfare, health care, community building, domestic abuse prevention, elder care, and arts and culture.
In July 2010, Hurricane Alex hit Monterrey, Mexico, and the homes of almost 40 local Mohawk employees were lost or severely damaged. To help them recover, more than 2,125 Mohawk employees donated approximately $124,000, and the company added another $30,000. When tornadoes ravaged northwest Georgia in April 2011, almost a dozen employees lost their homes. That year, 761 employees donated more than $47,000 directly to these employees. The company added another $18,000, plus donations to local Red Cross chapters. Employees also donated trailer loads of bottled water, clothing, non-perishable foods, diapers, and baby formula.
