We’re super supporters of volunteerism. So in honor of UN’s International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2018, “Building Resilient Communities,” we’re celebrating!
Working with non-profit partners around the world in communities that are at the heart of our business—our sourcing and operating communities—we unleash the positive power of our greatest assets: our Associates. In her #IVD2018 blog, our Lara McCauley, Senior Director, Global Internal Communications & Community Engagement, together with Annette Jennings, our Senior Manager, Global Community Engagement, about the top 4 reasons Mars makes it our business to volunteer.
Through our Mars Volunteer Program, Associates take paid time off to join volunteer events we organize in their local communities. Examples:
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In Ukraine, our Mars football team joined a charity cup to raise funds to provide educational and social support to 1,000 children with special needs.
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In Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and Croatia, Royal Canin gave back to local shelters caring for stray dogs.
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In Austria, Associates volunteered in a children´s village called SOS Kinderdorf, helping repair and update the buildings and grounds.
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In Australia, Associates volunteered to deliver and work extra shifts to supply food for working dogs on drought-stricken farms.
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In the U.S., for the second year in a row, Mars Food participated in the Culinary Care Cook Off to raise money for patients undergoing cancer treatment, giving them one less thing to worry about and a chance to spend time eating with their families. PS – we won best dish again!
We also take volunteering a giant step further through our Mars Ambassador Program, where Associates apply for one- to six-week assignments, volunteering their time and talents around the world. Visit and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to meet some of our 2018 MAP ambassadors.
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Off the coast of Indonesia, our Ambassadors explored—and helped save—the fragile coral ecosystem.
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In hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico, our volunteers stepped in where few have been since the storm: caring for abandoned pets at overcrowded animal shelters.
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In Rwanda, our ambassadors experience life as a tea farmer, gaining a deeper understanding of what it takes to grow the crop and improve its sustainability.
Are you passionate about making a difference in the world? Want to put it to work? Join us! #MarsVolunteers #IVD2018 #ResilientCommunities #proudlyMars