Deutsche Post DHL mobilizes employees worldwide to volunteer for a day

PLANTATION, Fla.–Deutsche Post DHL is calling on its employees and customers and partnering with non-profit organizations worldwide for its annual “Global Volunteer Day” which takes place during September. Last year, some 62,000 employees from 120 countries around the world contributed to more than 1,000 “Global Volunteer Day” projects, said a company release.

Employees from the four DHL units operating in the United States are participating in a number of activities this month including beach, river and park clean-ups; a donation drive to provide personal care packages for U.S. soldiers abroad; repacking and distributing food items at a food bank in Washington State; and preparing meals that will be sent to malnourished children in nearly 70 countries around the world..

In the Americas, DHL employees in 12 countries are working with Un Techo Para Mi Pais, a Latin American non-profit organization that builds basic housing for needy families. With the help of more than 1,500 employees, 200 homes have been built since 2010. This year, the goal is to build another 100 homes, including an effort in Panama where DHL executives will work alongside employees during a weekend in October.

So far this year, employees at the DHL Americas hub in Cincinnati raised $12,000 to provide wishes to two area children via the Make-A-Wish Foundation. DHL employees have also organized donation drives for back-to-school supplies supporting at-risk schoolchildren in Arizona and Florida; raised more than $200,000 for the fight against cancer by mustering a team of 140 volunteers to support Pelotonia, a biking event in central Ohio; participated in the 150-mile MS Pedal for a Cure 2013 Bike Ride to raise nearly $19,000 for Multiple Sclerosis research; volunteered at a food bank serving hungry families in 20 central Ohio counties; worked with veterans with major disabilities who are returning to civilian life and trucked relief supplies gathered by employees to help tornado victims in Moore, OK.

“Much like in years past, we’ll be supporting a myriad of different volunteer projects around the world – in many cases, these are community projects that involve our employees directly,” explains Christof Ehrhart, Director of Corporate Communications and Corporate Responsibility at Deutsche Post DHL. “This year is special, however. Since many of our approximately 475,000 employees are busy volunteering in projects throughout the year, we’ve decided to honor not only the activities carried out during the official “Global Volunteer Day” weeks in September, but all other volunteer projects carried out by our employees the whole year round. This allows our employees to really put the Group’s “Living Responsibility” mission into practice.”

Deutsche Post DHL also promotes employee volunteerism through its Living Responsibility Fund. Twice a year employees can apply for financial support for local projects that they can take part in which are run by local non-profit organizations . In 2012, Deutsche Post DHL granted funding to a total of 104 projects involving more than 9,000 employees in 48 countries worldwide. Promoting the community involvement of employees, combined with the Group’s three “Go” programs, is a key component of the Corporate Responsibility strategy at Deutsche Post DHL, the company said.