Astellas employees contributed more than 455 volunteer hours to support Variety Village
On October 21st, Astellas Pharma Canada employees had the opportunity to step away from their desks, roll up their sleeves, and spend the day volunteering during Changing Tomorrow Day, the company’s annual global day of service. Changing Tomorrow Day is a series of company-sponsored volunteer events for Astellas employees to donate their time to local non-profit organizations to help build a brighter future for patients, people, communities and partners.
This year, Astellas identified Variety Village as their community partner. For over 70 years, Variety’s goal has been to improve the quality of life and integration into society of all people, regardless of their abilities.
“Astellas has a deep-rooted commitment to giving back, and Changing Tomorrow Day reinforces our longstanding vision to make a difference in Canadian communities,” said Steve Sabus, General Manager, Astellas Pharma Canada. “We are thrilled to partner with Variety Village as we live out our corporate culture and values to help change tomorrow and strengthen our community engagement by supporting multiple volunteer activities.”
Astellas Canada employees marked the 10th anniversary of Changing Tomorrow Day by contributing more than 455 volunteer hours at Variety’s facility in Scarborough, Ontario by pitching in to help with maintenance activities, including painting, cleaning and gardening. Employees also had the opportunity to participate in Variety Village’s adaptive sports programs to learn more about how the organization is creating an inclusive playing field for people of all abilities.
Through Changing Tomorrow Day at Variety Village, Astellas Canada employees made the most of this unique opportunity to make an impact in their local community. “It was therapeutic to clean a room and instantly see the results,” said Colleen, a member of the Astellas Canada team. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to give back and make a difference for people in our community.”
Astellas employees in the Americas have donated more than 140,000 hours of their time by volunteering in local communities since 2009. In Canada, Astellas employees have volunteered their time on Changing Tomorrow Day with several community organizations to make a difference across important causes, and participated in activities to benefit a variety of people, including patients, people living with disabilities, seniors, and domestic abuse victims; and worked to address issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, and the environment through volunteerism.
“We don’t truly achieve success without the help of others,” said Chris Yaccato, Manager, Fundraising and Corporate Engagement, Variety Village. “The Astellas team made a profound and positive impact in the Variety facility – what our kids and families call their second home. Your day of volunteering helped us allocate our scarce resources to vital programming while helping us maintain a facility that greets over 1,200 visitors of all abilities each day. We thank you for all of your efforts, and applaud your commitment to giving back to your community.”
Astellas’ commitment to Changing Tomorrow Day extends beyond the global day of service and Astellas employees are committed to doing their part year-round to raise up local communities. Astellas offers employees up to five paid days off annually to volunteer with charitable organizations of their choice, with the goal of further impacting the health and well-being of patients, neighbours and communities in need.
It is this culture of giving back and engagement that contributed to the company being named as one of the Best Workplaces™ in Canada by the Great Place to Work® Institute for the fourth year in a row in 2019, and recognized on the 2019 lists of Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back, Women, Inclusion, Mental Wellness and Healthcare.
