ATLANTA, Sept. 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since its founding in 1907, UPS ® (NYSE: UPS) has established a strong legacy of supporting the communities it serves around the world. During the month of October, UPS's nearly 400,000 employees will aim to donate 315,000 volunteer hours to community service efforts through the company's annual Global Volunteer Month. This goal is a 5 percent increase over last year's monthly hours total.
Spearheaded by The UPS Foundation, which drives global corporate citizenship and philanthropic programs for UPS, Global Volunteer Month mobilizes our hundreds of thousands of employees from every region to engage in numerous volunteer events and activities happening around the world. This year, employees will support major initiatives such as global forestry by working with organizations like The Nature Conservancy and others to help plant, protect and preserve trees in the U.S. and beyond. In addition, employees can also offer their time to support a wide range of activities including teaching safe driving skills, aiding local communities devastated by disaster and offering educational and leadership development trainings at local organizations.
In June 2014, UPS Chief Executive Officer David Abney announced the company's pledge of completing 20 million hours of global volunteerism and community service by the end of 2020. Through the increased focus on volunteerism during the month of October, UPS employees can hone in on their volunteer efforts and make a sizeable impact toward that goal.
"Our business helps us connect to hundreds of millions of people around the world," said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation. "UPS is committed to service each and every day, but we are particularly excited to designate October as a month to place a special emphasis on volunteerism and service in order to make the world a better and more sustainable community."
During the 2014 Global Volunteer Month, UPS employees around the world will volunteer time at signature regional events to celebrate the impact of philanthropic efforts in local communities, including:
United States
- Participating in Hands On Atlanta Day , where employees of Atlanta-based UPS will help support more than 25 volunteer initiatives in metro Atlanta
- Creating care packages to support veterans, Wounded Warriors and U.S. Service Members deployed overseas through Operation Gratitude
- Packing food to feed malnourished children with Feed My Starving Children and children impacted by natural disasters with Stop Hunger Now
- Hosting career days with high school students in partnership with Junior Achievement
- Supporting breast cancer awareness and research by participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
Canada
- Conducting ongoing road safety training sessions with local Boys & Girls Clubs chapters through the UPS Road Code Program
Latin America
- Supporting local nonprofit organizations in Puerto Rico by painting, developing recreational activities for youth and youth engagement through the Give a Day Project
- Tree planting initiatives in the Dominican Republic with Bonao Reforestation
- Setting up blood donation drives for the Colombian Red Cross
Europe
- Feeding and caring for sheltered animals in Istanbul, Turkey with Tuzla Hayvan Barinagi
- Organizing fundraising activities for senior citizens in Bergamo, Italy in partnership with Universiis
- Partnering with food bank Lions Club in Brussels, Belgium to help feed the homeless
Asia-Pacific
- Preparing and delivering charitable lunches for disabled children and senior citizens in Vietnam with Thien Duyen Home
- Collecting surplus food that would otherwise be disposed of as waste and distribute to underserved communities through the Bo Charity Foundation in Hong Kong
- Volunteering with the National Association of Disable's Enterprises to support community improvement and capacity building in India
UPS Freight
- Participating in Hands On Day Richmond , where UPS employees will support more than 60 volunteer initiatives within the greater Richmond, Va., area
Since 2011, UPS has contributed more than 5.5 million hours of global volunteer service. Employees' participation in Global Volunteer Month will help the company reach its 2020 goal of giving back 20 million volunteer service hours to the communities around the world where UPS employees live and work.
For more information about UPS's philanthropic and volunteerism efforts, please visit www.UPS.com/Foundation .
Kristen Petrella 404-828-4182
