ATLANTA, June 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS (NYSE:UPS) today was named among the 2017 Civic 50 community-minded companies by the Points of Light organization. This marks the fourth year UPS has been recognized for its community engagement and philanthropic efforts.
Points of Light’s Civic 50 recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation each year. Winners invest significant amounts of employee time and skills, cash, in-kind giving and public leadership to help communities and demonstrate a measurable impact on community engagement. This year’s winners were announced today at Points of Light’s Conference on Volunteering and Service in Seattle.
“UPS has been a purpose-driven company throughout our history helping to lift people and communities in need – this is integral to our values and indeed guides our success,” said Eduardo Martinez, president, The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. “We are honored by our inclusion on the Civic 50 and will continue to advance programs and initiatives that engage, empower and give back to global communities.”
Among the UPS philanthropic initiatives that were recognized are:
- Global Volunteerism: 20 Million By 2020 Pledge: In 2014, UPS pledged to complete 20 million hours of global volunteerism and community service by the end of 2020. By achieving this goal, UPS’s total volunteer hours would increase more than 12 percent and non-profits will receive assistance valued at more than $460 million. So far, UPS has surpassed the halfway mark and is 64 percent toward its 2020 goal.
- Humanitarian Relief: Medical Drone Deliveries: UPS’s Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program leverages UPS’s transportation assets, logistics expertise and philanthropic dollars to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from humanitarian crises in partnership with relief organizations. A key 2016 initiative involved a partnership between The UPS Foundation, Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, and Zipline, a California-based robotics company, to launch a medical drone network in Rwanda that provides expedited delivery of blood and other urgent medical supplies to rural hospitals across the country.
- Sustainability: Global Tree Planting Pledge and Sustainability Ambassador Program: UPS announced a pledge in 2015 to plant 15 million trees around the world by the end of 2020 – a bold expansion of the company’s Global Forestry Initiative. So far, the Global Forestry Initiative has planted more than 7 million trees in 53 countries and awarded $2.6 million in grants in 2016 to nonprofit organizations focused on environmental sustainability. Additionally, UPS has more than 6,000 Sustainability Ambassadors worldwide, providing hands-on support for our sustainability efforts.
- Community Safety: UPS Road Code®: The UPS Foundation’s UPS Road Code program is offered in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America in the U.S. and teaches teens around the world safe driving skills. The program has reached nearly 33,000 students globally.
For more information on UPS’s philanthropic efforts, visit The UPS Foundation at ups.com/foundation.
The Civic 50 survey was administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the Civic 50 scoring process. The Civic 50 is a survey and ranking system that exclusively measures corporate involvement in communities. To learn more about the Civic 50 and see a full list of the winners, please visit www.Civic50.org.
About The UPS Foundation
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. In 2016, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $116 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/Foundation. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.