Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship members come together online to respond to Haiti quake

 

As information continues to reach us about the devastating earthquake in Haiti, many of the Boston College Center’s members have stepped up to provide financial and in-kind relief.   A discussion on this topic is currently taking place in our online Member Community. Many of the community members are using this space to trade ideas about a variety of issues from supporting employees with family affected by the disaster to how to set up an employee donation page. Others have reported on their companies’ financial commitments, including the following:

• Timberland is contributing to the earthquake relief efforts through Yéle Haiti (http://www.yele.org), a grassroots movement founded by Wyclef Jean that builds global awareness for Haiti while transforming the country through educational, cultural and environmental programs. Timberland announced its partnership with Yéle Haiti several months ago, intending to focus on reforestation, but has now refocused its partnership on earthquake relief.

• Morgan Stanley is committing $1 million to the Red Cross Haiti Fund and is encouraging employee giving.

• The TJX Companies, Inc. has announced that it will be donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts. The company is also waiting to hear more details from the Red Cross regarding on-the-ground needs and logistics before doing any sort of clothing-related donations.

• The General Mills Foundation will provide $250,000 to support disaster relief and long-term rebuilding efforts in Haiti. The Foundation will make a grant in the amount of $100,000 to the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief Fund and $150,000 to CARE International for long-term rebuilding efforts.

The online Member Community, which was officially launched in early November, currently has more than 700 members and 65 active discussions and is growing quickly, particularly as members seek to participate in the current discussion on Haiti earthquake relief.   The online community is open only to Center members and is by invitation only. If you are already a member of the community, please join the discussion here. If you are a Center member but have not yet joined the community, email Susan Thomas for an invitation.   Another resource is the Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is coordinating with relief agencies and organizations on the ground in Haiti. They list a number of NGOs that are working on the ground in Haiti, and have a help desk hosting coordination calls, sharing information, documenting corporate aid contributions, and informing the public and relevant partners about the current state of corporate disaster aid contributions. You can learn more at http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/haitiearthquakeresponse.htm.   BCCCC4119