BUSINESS: 584 PRACTICES
MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) is a global healthcare leader and among the largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide, working with customers in 140 countries and employing 74.000 people.
Read more: www.msd.gr
At MSD, we work to develop and deliver innovative medicines and vaccines to prevent and treat diseases and provide relief to patients. However, we also know that we have a social and environmental responsibility to contribute to the health of communities, the planet, and our wider society.
Volunteering for MSD is part of the “Life Matters” Corporate Responsibility program, while it is in line with the company’s innovative “MSDGivesBack” policy, under which each employee has the opportunity to allocate up to 40 hours of paid time per year to help a Non-Profit Organization of their choice. It is located in the Society pillar of our ESG strategy and is supported in philosophy and practice by the entire company.
To implement our program, we also join forces with MSD Animal Health so that we can also meet the needs of animals. Our goal is to contribute to the places where we live and work, as well as to vulnerable social groups, in order to improve the health of people, animals and the environment, which are the 3 important pillars we focus on.
Volunteering activities are planned by the volunteering team, which consists of 45 people. The team meets at regular intervals and decides on the plan for the entire year as well as the actions that are implemented on volunteering day.
Over the past few years, just a few of the important organizations and NGOs that have collaborated are: WE4ALL, the Non-Profit Association “PEK/AmeA”, “Make a Wish”, the Homeless Bookstore, the “Shelter of the Animal Welfare Association of Ilioupoli”, “Smile of the Child”, “SOS Children's Villages”, “Hellenic Red Cross”, “Humanity”, “ELEPAP”, “Doctors of the World”, “Kinitora”, “Schedia”, “Association of Members of Women's Associations of Heraklion and Heraklion Prefecture”, “Municipality of Nafplio”, “Volos Orphanage”, “Paidopolis Agios Andreas”, “Depno Agapis”, “Agios Alexandros Women's Shelter”, “Equal Society”, “Association of Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension" "Liberty dogs" "KEFI Patients Association", "LABORATORY", "Municipality of Alimos" "WE CAN" and we have contributed to the work of "Dog's Voice" of "Philozoiki Argyroupoli" and to "Lighthouse of the World" Thessaloniki. Finally, we carry out voluntary blood donation twice a year.
NGOs, Local Community, MSD Employees
The voluntary program has been implemented intensively from 2016 until now.
The originality lies in the planning of the actions by a dedicated team and in the fact that the actions are implemented throughout the year and not just on volunteering day. Also, a second originality is the fact that within the framework of MSD's annual corporate meetings, we choose to support the local community with volunteering actions. Before each annual meeting, in collaboration with our external partner selected to implement the meeting, we conduct research to see what the critical needs of the local community are in order to cover them.
Some of the actions that have stood out in recent years are:
- Christmas and Easter creations for the needs of Organizations. MSD employees make small gifts for NGOs which they will later sell at the Christmas and Easter Bazaar held at MSD. In addition, at the Christmas Bazaar 2024, MSD employees participated with their own creations of sweet, savory dishes as well as handmade gifts, raising 2000 euros which they donated to Liberty dogs.
- Distributing used furniture and cabinets to 4 NGO organizations (PEKAMEA, PAEDOPOLI AGIOS ANDREAS, Volos Orphanage, and Agios Alexandros Women's Home), and volunteering to help tidy them up
- Volunteering in Nafplio (2024). In the context of our annual meeting, we discussed their needs with the Municipality of Nafplio and supported the local community with volunteer activities such as:
o At the holy church of Evangelistria in Nafplio, we prepared meals for needy families
o We carried out reforestation on a hillside in Nafplio
o We painted the facade of the K.E.K.Y.K.A.meA with a cheerful design. The K.E.K.Y.K.A.meA is an open social care unit, aimed at all people with disabilities, staffed by specialized personnel. The facade was painted with the aim of changing the external environment and giving a more pleasant note to the children who visit it.
o We built a pergola at the Association of People with Disabilities of Argolida so that the children would have an oasis of coolness in the summer and we spent quality time with the children playing basketball
- The volunteering we carried out in Alexandroupolis (2023) was in the same context, with the difference that in addition to cooking and cleaning the beach, we also created a dog park
- Volunteer at Faros tou Kosmou in Thessaloniki by our colleagues at Animal Health. Faros tou Kosmou is a structure in Thessaloniki that hosts Roma children from "unsustainable" families, helping them to integrate smoothly into society. The managers of Faros had contacted the company, inviting us to help them with the animals that the children have as pets in the structure. The animals, 15 dogs and 4 cats, are also former strays and abused animals that they took under their responsibility at the facility, offering them endless love and care.
In collaboration with the Voluntary Action of Veterinarians of Greece, we went to Faros and treated the animals, vaccinating, deworming, etc. Then we went to a school in the area where an afternoon KDAP was operating and we made a presentation to the children of Faros and KDAP, informing them about issues that will help them grow up to respect and love all animals.
- In addition, in collaboration with the Voluntary Action of Veterinarians of Greece, we responded once again to the invitation of Faros of the World to provide veterinary preventive care to the animals of Faros. With great joy, we vaccinated and dewormed the 15 dogs and their 3 kittens.
All actions are perfectly aligned with our greater purpose, which is to improve the lives of people, animals and the environment.
The impact and benefits of these actions are particularly significant as they increase the engagement rate in the company and shape a culture of care, solidarity and support for vulnerable groups of the population, which at the same time improves people's relationships and their relationship with themselves. In particular, through the program we have seen
Improvement in cooperation between groups
Increase in the socialization of more introverted people
Better connection of colleagues, especially those who do not have many reasons to cooperate due to their different roles
Pleasant working environment for everyone
Development of a sense of belonging for a large number of employees
Dedicated staff, trust in the company
Particular satisfaction in the Millennial generation who are characterized by their social awareness
Volunteering implemented within the framework of our corporate responsibility has a great impact on the beneficiaries themselves. The Organizations and NGOs that we have collaborated with to date number more than 40 and all speak with the warmest words about the results of our actions and the kindness of our employees.
Across Greece
Yes with NGOs/Institutions/Municipality | SOS villages, Orphanage Melissa in Thessaloniki, Paidopoli Agios Andreas, ELEPAP , PEKAMEA, KEFI, Smile of the child, Volos Orphanage, “Borume,“Greece race for the cure” , Social Convenience Store of “Child Hug”, Dourahani Monastery Boarding School, “Papaflessas”,Municipality of Alimos
Yes there is full participation of employees
The greatest benefit for the company is the emotions of the people, the pride they feel, the pride in themselves and in the company. All this is reflected in the opinion surveys that are carried out every year. In these, it appears that the degree of dedication of the employees to the company increases the longer and more frequently the volunteer work is. As is clearly demonstrated, volunteering builds collective consciousness, cohesion and solidarity and is in full accordance with our commitment to improving human life.
