Over 3,000 Employees to volunteer 14,000 hours of service across the region
HONG KONG, 10 October, 2008-- What initially began as a week
of giving back to communities across Asia, has this year turned into a month's
worth of voluntary activities across the region. UPS Global Volunteer Month,
formerly UPS Global Volunteer Week, takes place over the month of October in the
Asia Pacific region. UPS will mobilize over 3,000 employees and volunteer 14,000
hours of service to charity and community work.
"The idea of giving back to the community through volunteerism is something
that is engrained in the corporate culture at UPS, "said Derek Woodward,
President of UPS Asia Pacific Region. "Having been in Asia for two decades now,
we know how deep the needs run in this region, and we want to be able to make a
difference, no matter how big or small, through our voluntary efforts."
"Since June last year, over 200 staff has contributed more than 1,000
volunteer hours in 10 community activities," said KK Leung, Managing Director of
UPS Hong Kong and Macau. "It makes a difference for each of us to do something
for the community, be it a big role or a small one, and for us to stay connected
to the needs of Hong Kong people."
UPS's Global Volunteer Month first began in 2003 as a seven-day community
service initiative with 1,000 volunteers. This October, UPS expects to have
30,000 employees participating worldwide through volunteerism. Local UPS
employees choose their own projects in conjunction with Global Volunteer
Month.
In Hong Kong, UPS will engage approximately 335 volunteers to participate in
six activities, one of which will be the UPS Greening Day with New Life Farm,
where 80 volunteers will help New Life Farm with weeding, ploughing,
fertilizing, watering, picking vegetables and making scarecrows. Together with
New Life Farm, this initiative provides an opportunity to educate UPSers on the
importance of a green environment, and for them to further understand one of the
city's social needs.
More importantly, UPS Hong Kong will create a better environment to support
New Life Farm in carrying out its objective of educating society of the
importance of a green environment.
Other volunteer efforts across Asia will include:
- 100 UPSers cleaning, painting, repairing doors, making book shelves,
providing nutritious food and organizing educational games for an elementary
school in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Nearly 80 volunteers raising funds for the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the
disabled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Over 320 volunteers engaging in a clean-up activity in two lakeshore towns
and participating in a brief simulation as part of the Community Forum in the
Philippines.
- Providing meal services to children and the elderly of low income families,
and taking orphans and disadvantaged children on an excursion to the Childrens'
Museum in Seoul.
- 100 volunteers playing with and teaching children to paint in Shanghai.
- Playing games with residents at an elderly home in Singapore, and helping
children at the Down Syndrome Association to sell flags.
- 85 UPS employees volunteering time to pack toy and food Christmas hampers
that will benefit disadvantaged Australian children.
- Spending time with speech and hearing-impaired children in Taiwan, and
making pop-up and audio books for the visually impaired.
- Over 80 volunteers in Thailand planting mangrove trees along the coast in
Samaesarn district, and cleaning up Samaesarn island.
- Making bamboo lanterns and offering international guides services in Tokyo.
Playing baseball, soccer and other games with orphans at a children's home in
Osaka.
UPS Global Volunteers Month is an initiative of The UPS Foundation. Founded
in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga., the Foundation identifies specific areas
where its support will clearly impact social issues. In May this year, The UPS
Foundation made a cash donation of US$500,000 to the American Red Cross in
support of Red Cross earthquake response efforts in Chengdu, and pledged an
additional US$500,000 for in-kind support to aid the delivery of relief
supplies. Earlier on in the month, The UPS Foundation also pledged US$200,000 to
CARE, the international humanitarian organization, to support its efforts to
deliver aid to Myanmar in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Nargis.
Visit community.ups.com for more information about UPS's community
involvement.
|
|
 |
UPS Pressroom |
|
|
Read press releases, announcements and other media-related information about UPS.
|
|
 |
|
View History
