How Boston Scientific Celebrates the Spirit of Giving All Year Round

The months of November and December, with all their holidays and celebrations, have come to be known as a season of giving around the world.

At Boston Scientific, though, giving back is made a priority all year long. With help from the company’s Global Community Engagement team, employees are empowered to donate their time, talent and resources to address the most pressing needs around them in three focus areas: health, education and supporting communities. In 2021 alone, Boston Scientific employees spent 50,000+ hours volunteering in 50+ countries.

Take a look at four recent initiatives from around the world that illustrate a belief long held by Boston Scientific: transforming the world begins one community at a time. 

Fit for a Cause

In January 2022, Boston Scientific employees in Massachusetts and Rhode Island were invited to join a six-week fitness challenge called Fit for a Cause. Entrants signed up to join one of three teams, each of which was led by two company employees.

Teams scored points by doing activities including cardio and strength training sessions, incorporating a new fruit or vegetable into their diets and learning more about mindfulness and mental health. The prize for earning the most points? A renovation for the facilities of a local organization.

In the end, Girls Inc. of Worcester was the big winner.

But employees who participated reaped benefits too. “I signed on to be a co-leader of the Girls Inc. team because this is typically something I don’t do—I’m a ‘background’ type of person, but wanted to challenge myself,” says Manuela Capodanno, grant coordinator, medical affairs, Urology and Pelvic Health. Ultimately, she says, her risk was worth the reward: a new outdoor multi-purpose area to promote wellness and STEM and arts education programs.

Project Niramayah

While all of India was dramatically affected by the COVID pandemic, rural India fared particularly poorly, due to a lack of medical infrastructure and facilities there. That’s why the non-profit group SEWA International launched Project Niramayah—a healthcare initiative, supported by partners including Boston Scientific, that aimed to help spread awareness of COVID prevention, detection and treatment in four states across the country: Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Ultimately, SEWA’s operation partners and volunteers were able to distribute COVID care kits that included prevention equipment and a guide on detecting COVID early, as well as other basic amenities, to 3000 villages.

“We at Boston Scientific are privileged to partner with Project Niramayah in India, where we got an opportunity to contribute to a noble cause and serve the community,” says Manoj Madhavan, managing director, Boston Scientific in India. “We hope to continue our association and stand with SEWA International in their mission to serve humanity in need.”

Herradura Beach Renovation

It’s a popular and beautiful destination in Costa Rica—but Herradura Beach is not a particularly accessible one for residents and tourists who have reduced mobility.

Boston Scientific employees in Costa Rica who are part of the Leadership, Education and Allies for Disabilities (LEAD) employee resource group decided to work together with the country’s Adapted Surf National team to make the beach more inclusive.

More than 160 volunteers collected waste, painted the public spaces and planted more than 50 trees as part of the beach renovation. Boston Scientific also donated funds for the purchase of two amphibian chairs (which enable people with reduced mobility to enter the water) and accessible ramps (which were constructed mostly from recycled plastic collected at the Heredia and Coyol company sites in Costa Rica).

“We knew that Herradura Beach would be transformed through our actions; however, our participation in this activity also transformed our employees and ignited our passion to continue advancing possibilities in our communities,” says LEAD leader Gloria León.

Baking for a Cause

As part of the Week of Caring that Boston Scientific celebrates each June, employees in Singapore spent 20 hours volunteering in support of seven local organizations.

One of those organizations was the Red Cross Home, which is a residence for more than 100 adults and children with multiple disabilities who can’t care for themselves. Boston Scientific employees sought to bring them some joy and comfort by taking an afternoon to bake them cookies, madeleines and banana bread and write accompanying notes of support.

Other Week of Caring initiatives in Singapore included preparing food at the Willing Hearts Food Kitchen, which provides meals for people in need and refurbishing IT equipment for groups including Beyond Social Services, Pertapis Children’s Home and Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Home.

“With COVID restrictions relaxed this year, making time to celebrate our global Week of Caring was featured high on the list for all of us in Singapore,” says Cynthia Chia, office manager, APAC. “We got our families involved and were happy to actively give back to the communities around us in person.”

Learn more about how Boston Scientific empowers its employees to feel valued, and create value, every day.

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