MSD Israel: Since 2007, MSD Israel has partnered with “Yad Sarah,” an Israeli volunteer organization that focuses on improving the quality of life for the elderly, disabled and sick, to help support employee volunteer efforts. To accommodate MSD employees’ preferences, Yad Sarah and MSD established three channels for the program’s volunteer work:
The Medical Channel — MSD representatives donate their personal time to visit physicians to explain the services provided by Yad Sarah. Physicians, in turn, tell their patients about these services.
The Training Channel — MSD volunteers provide training to Yad Sarah staff and volunteers in a variety of skills, including computer literacy and presentation preparation.
The Community Channel — Through a nationwide network of Yad Sarah centers, MSD volunteers provide several services, including the installation of panic alarms in the homes of the elderly. The alarms are connected to a call center in Yad Sarah that dispatches help in emergency situations.
One year after launch, more than 50 percent of MSD Israel’s employees participate and volunteer in the Yad Sarah-MSD Israel partnership on an ongoing basis.
MSD The Netherlands: In 2004, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, MSD The Netherlands launched the "Getting Better Together" program for the local community, better known in Dutch as "Handen uit de Mouwen." Each year, during the last two weeks of September, more than 200 MSD employees volunteer to work a day for a local project. There are eight different initiatives that have been "adopted" by MSD in The Netherlands including organizing a day for underprivileged children, planting a new garden for an elderly people's home and cooking meals for homeless people. The program is now in its fifth year.
MSD Malaysia: In 2006, MSD Malaysia launched "Lend-A-Hand," a community outreach program that encourages MSD Malaysia employees to give back to society. Two Fridays a year are set aside to provide employees an opportunity to participate in a Company-planned community day activity, to establish long-term commitments with charitable organizations, and to make a difference in the lives of the less privileged. Since 2006, MSD Malaysia has offered support to more than 15 charitable organizations through the program, including orphanages, senior centers and homes for handicapped communities.
United States
MerckVolunteers: In 2006, Merck launched MerckVolunteers, a resource that helps U.S. employees identify volunteer opportunities in their communities and connects them to organizations that need their help. Merck is partnering with VolunteerMatch, a non-profit web service, to provide employees with a customized, easy-to-use resource that can help them search for meaningful volunteer opportunities by area of interest, location or organization. MerckVolunteers also has a "Dollars for Doers" component that enables volunteers to apply for matching grants from The Merck Company Foundation for hours they have volunteered at eligible organizations.
Merck Employee Volunteers through The Merck Institute for Science Education: A program through which volunteers support teachers in the classroom, and students through electronic mentoring, offering a view of the real-world applications of science and mathematics. During the past 10 years, approximately 7,000 Merck employees have shared their time with students and teachers in their communities.
Merck Pro Bono Legal Program: This nationally recognized program began in 1994 when a small group of Merck attorneys and support staff piloted a program to assist low-income individuals in obtaining free legal services. Today, the program has expanded to include more than100 attorneys, paralegals, and administrative associates who provide pro bono legal services to residents of New Jersey and Pennsylvania who cannot otherwise afford legal representation. Merck is currently handling pro bono cases with our partners at Legal Services of New Jersey, Central Jersey Legal Services, Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania in the areas of guardianship, landlord/tenant, bankruptcy, family law, domestic violence, military veteran benefits, social security disability benefits and special education law. We also are working with our colleagues at the Pro Bono Partnership to represent qualifying non-profit organizations in New Jersey. Since the program began, Merck legal professionals have devoted thousands of hours and handled hundreds of cases to provide equal justice to those in need throughout our communities. In 2006, Merck also became the first corporation in New Jersey to partner with Street Law to encourage students from inner city high schools with diverse backgrounds to consider opportunities in the legal profession.
The content on this page was last modified on September 15, 2009.
Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, and Schering-Plough Corporation, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, are now one company. We have combined our global operations under the name Merck & Co., Inc. We are working to update our corporate responsibility Web site to reflect our new, combined, global organization.
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