For the past nine years, AbbVie’s award winning Week of Possibilities signature community volunteering programme has been empowering employees to get involved in projects to improve the localities where they live and work. During this year’s programme in June, more than 1,000 employees from AbbVie’s six Irish locations in Cork, Dublin, Sligo and Mayo contributed 3,165 volunteer hours.
Their efforts included the refurbishment of several education facilities, a day centre for people with disabilities, and a community centre. They also assembled more than 3,500 food packs which were distributed directly to four different charities supporting homeless people and marginalised households across Ireland.
AbbVie is committed to going beyond the development of innovative therapies and the provision of medicines and actively seeks out opportunities to play its part in enhancing local communities, according to Darren Egan, site head at AbbVie’s facility in Westport, Co Mayo.
“Community engagement is an integral part of AbbVie’s culture,” Egan says. “With the active support of our leadership, employees are continually looking for ways to engage and give back, including by active volunteering. All our people are offered the option of spending two fully paid workdays volunteering in their community. Annually, tens of thousands of colleagues’ volunteer during AbbVie’s global week of service and engage to add value on hundreds of projects around the world. Since 2013, AbbVie employees have volunteered more than 300,000 hours in their local communities.”
During this year’s Week of Possibilities, AbbVie’s Dublin-based volunteers working in Citywest and in Clonshaugh joined forces to refurbish the Cill Bharrog Day Centre for people with disabilities in Kilbarrack on the city’s northside. The renovation included a repaint of the entire facility, a refurbished sensory room and new furniture.
In Sligo, employees based at AbbVie’s manufacturing plants in Ballytivnan and on the Manorhamilton Road jointly contributed to the revitalisation of MCR Community Centre in Knocknaganny. The centre is a base for the Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership, an alliance of local agencies, organisations, clubs, and communities that support sport and physical activity participation in Sligo. AbbVie volunteers revamped the interior and exterior of the large multipurpose building, giving it a fresh new look and creating new uses for various spaces to make them more inviting for people of all ages. In addition, with both food sustainability and active ageing programmes in mind, polytunnels and raised vegetable planters were assembled and installed.
AbbVie volunteers in Cork created a dedicated outdoor classroom space for teachers and primary school students of Scoil Bhríde in Midleton. They also transformed an old storage room into a calming nurture room in the school’s Cuisle Centre for students with ASD needs. Colourful playground markings were also added to the schoolyard to encourage fun and active breaktimes.
In the west of Ireland, employees took on two projects close to the company’s Westport town facility. At Mayo College of Further Education, volunteers transformed three garden spaces and revamped the canteen and computer room to make the environment more inviting and conducive to learning. Across town, a small housing estate for elderly people was given a new lease of life with all 12 houses receiving a bright new coat of paint while a courtyard for residents was refurbished.
“We are deeply proud of our unique connection to our neighbourhoods,” says Egan. “Through initiatives like Week of Possibilities, we have the opportunity to return the kindness we have always received from the people of Westport and the wider local community in Mayo. It means a lot to us to be able to support our community in this way.”
In advance of last month’s projects, more than 300 AbbVie employees, also from the company’s Westport site, came together to assemble 3,500 food packs which were distributed to Mid-West Simon, Cope Galway, Novas, and Tiglin at the Lighthouse.
Jackie Leonard, head of fundraising at Novas, says the food packs were extremely helpful to both clients and those offering services. “Not only are people receiving food, but the packs also help our staff to build relationships with hard-to-engage clients and that can sometimes open the door for more therapeutic work,” Leonard says.
Volunteer Ireland CEO Nina Arwitz says her organisation is delighted to partner with AbbVie on the implementation of the Week of Possibilities in Ireland. “It’s a wonderful demonstration of how companies and community partners can come together to make a real impact in our communities, making sure support goes to where it’s needed the most. It also gives AbbVie employees a unique chance to experience volunteering and inspire them to give back throughout the year.”