A Henkel employee puts the finishing touches on a closet for the Habitat for Humanity® home.
Inspired by causes as diverse as they are, Henkel employees across North America make life better in the communities they call home. Henkel is proud to support community involvement through our Make an Impact on Tomorrow (MIT) initiative. As we celebrate International Volunteer Day, we reflect on 20 years of volunteerism.
Since the MIT initiative was launched in 1998, Henkel has supported almost 14,000 charitable projects in more than 100 countries through the “Fritz Henkel Stiftung” foundation.
“The MIT initiative supports the causes our employees are passionate about. It’s a grassroots effort that helps Henkel and its employees connect with communities in meaningful ways,” says Angela Curley, Leader – Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion and Corporate Citizenship.
Henkel volunteers from our Mississauga, Canada office give a cheer at the start of their day building townhouses with Habitat for Humanity®.
20 Years of Tomorrows
Any Henkel employee or retiree who volunteers for social, charitable, cultural, educational, or environmental organizations can apply for assistance through the MIT initiative. Support includes material and financial donations along with the hands-on involvement of employees.
MIT projects range from helping children with disabilities, providing cold cap therapy to spare the hair of cancer patients to funding critical assistance when disaster strikes. For example, in spring 2018, an MIT grant provided support for a team of 28 from Henkel Adhesive Technologies to help restore homes in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
Employees support some projects year after year because they can see the impact they have. One such cause is the Anderson House in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, which has received MIT support since 2012 to help women recovering from addiction.
Employees from Henkel’s Adhesives Technologies volunteered to support recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. One of their projects was rebuilding a home in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.
Employees from Henkel’s Bridgewater, NJ facility supported Anderson House by helping with painting and landscaping as well as organizing workshops on healthy relaxation techniques.
Employees from Henkel’s Adhesives Technologies volunteered to support recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. One of their projects was rebuilding a home in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.
Employees from Henkel’s Bridgewater, NJ facility supported Anderson House by helping with painting and landscaping as well as organizing workshops on healthy relaxation techniques.
Curley adds, “The MIT initiative has a 360-degree impact because it inspires others with the good works employees are doing.”
Building Better Tomorrows
In Bowling Green, Kentucky, those good works include building homes for Habitat for Humanity®. In September a team of 39 employees from Henkel’s largest laundry manufacturing facility devoted two days to help finish a home for a local family.
“The most rewarding thing is knowing that we helped a family in our community break the cycle of poverty,” says Michael Duggins, Value Stream Manager for Fabric Softener Sheets. “We helped in a small way to give them hope for a better life.”
Further north, colleagues in Canada helped build 13 Habitat for Humanity® townhouses in the Toronto area. In addition to their volunteer hours, the team donated funds through an MIT grant and Henkel adhesive products to aid in construction.
“These families gain a safe place to live and learn financial skills that will serve them well in the future,” says Marta DaCosta, Consumer Adhesives Sales Representative, “It means so much to give back to the community where you live and work.”
Her colleague in Bowling Green could not agree more.
“I am so proud to work for a company that sets the standard for corporate citizenship,” says Duggins. “Henkel is known worldwide for its quality products and sustainability practices. Now many in our community also know Henkel as a company filled with humanitarians.”
