McCormick Employees in the Asia Pacific Zone Find Creative Ways to Give Back During COVID-19

McCormick & Company employees take pride in charitable contributions, and our employees located in the Asia Pacific Zone (APZ) celebrated International Day of Charity on September 5 and our annual Charity Day festivities by standing with local communities. Although in-person volunteer activities were limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, APZ employees found creative ways to drive McCormick's Purpose-led Performance values. 

"I’m especially proud that this legacy of doing what’s right for our community continues to guide our business and people in APZ; even during the worst of COVID-19 waves that threatened the livelihoods and lives of the communities in which we source and operate," said Daniel Moorfield, President of APZ.

Below, see how employees from Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and India gave back to their communities for International Day of Charity and Charity Day 2021. 

Singapore. Employees at McCormick Singapore partnered with Food from the Heart (FFTH) and The National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore (NCID). Employees rallied to serve the community through a donation to FFTH that runs an initiative called Project Belanja, which connects local hawkers and vendors with senior citizens in need of meal sponsorships. Employees also saluted frontline workers at NCID with 500 snack packets to show our deep appreciation for their unrelenting hard work and dedication. 

Australia. Organizations like Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Australia are also suffering the impact of COVID-19 as fundraising activities are being postponed or canceled. At the Ronald McDonald House in Fitzroy North, McCormick Australia sponsors the Aeroplane Jelly Kitchen and has donated funds toward adopting a room, which had previously been funded by the annual RMHC Gala (canceled due to COVID). RMHC houses the families of seriously sick children who are mostly coming from the rural parts of Australia to seek treatment in nearby medical facilities. The team also looked for other creative ways to raise funds for RMHC such as through the purchase of Happy Day socks for all employees for the second year in a row for McHappy Day, an annual fundraising event where all McDonald's restaurants across Australia raise funds for RMHC.  

Thailand. Employees in McCormick Thailand partnered with a provincial school in Suphanburi and donated school supplies such as computers, a water filtering system, shoes for the children, writing materials, and essentials for the school farm so that the children can enjoy more nutritious yet affordable meals. The McCormick Thailand team also worked with local vendors to treat and recycle food waste from our Amata manufacturing plant and turn it into an organic soil conditioner for the school farm, helping to promote sustainable food practices. In addition, children from the school were taught the benefits of growing quality farm produce using organic soil so that they can share that knowledge with the farmers in their village.   

India. McCormick India partnered with three organizations: Akshaya Patra, Robin Hood Army, and School Laptop Donation Drive. Employees donated dry rations, ready-to-eat food products, and oxygen concentrators to Akshaya Patra to help with COVID-19 recovery efforts. And the Robin Hood Army received a monetary donation to support hunger relief efforts in food-insecure communities. And employees donated laptops to a local school to help support digital education. 

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