The end of October marked the conclusion of the tenth annual Global Volunteer Month at UPS. At the start of the month, UPS set the goal of 195,000 volunteer hours—a goal we met and exceeded with more than 200,000 logged volunteer hours. And while the UPS tradition of giving back to the community continues throughout the year, October represents a highpoint of UPS corporate responsibility and charitable involvement.

Below are a few highlights and a photo album showcasing Global Volunteer Month activities from around the world. Enjoy.

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October 2012 is the tenth consecutive Global Volunteer Month at UPS. While UPS people are encouraged to give back to their communities year-round, Global Volunteer Month mobilizes thousands of UPS employees from every hemisphere in a wide range of volunteer events and activities.

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I spent a good deal of my career in darkened television studios, the dim light creating a culture of familiarity of worn jeans and open gossip. Coming to UPS has been, well, a change.

And that’s not a bad thing. I mean, yes, there are a lot more meetings and high heels in this life. Conversations stay above board and on topic. But this job gives me a sense of purpose and encourages me to think creatively about how we can help others—what we offer our customers and our communities.

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I admit it—I am not a morning person. Happiness for me is being able to sleep in on the weekends. So, as my alarm began blaring at me at 6:00 AM on a Saturday morning, it was hard not to wake up feeling a bit grumpy. As I strapped on my boots and put on my volunteer T-shirt emblazoned with the big UPS shield across the back, my grogginess and irritation quickly shifted to pride and enthusiasm (caffeine helped too). Why? Because I knew I wasn’t just giving up some sleep on a weekend; I was going to help make a difference in someone’s life.

That morning I was assisting at the UPS sponsored Habitat for Humanity house build. As the sole sponsor of a new house for the Jacinto family in Woodstock, GA, various UPS departments had been helping with the build each weekend. My department was tasked with painting the interior of the house.

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The thought I kept having as I watched teams pull a UPS 757 cargo jet during the Special Olympics Plane Pull on Saturday, September 29 at the Louisville International Airport was: “That’s a pretty tough tug-of-war opponent.”

Yet time and time again, teams of 20 participants would step up to the 147,000-pound UPS browntail, size up the competition, grab the rope, and pull with all of their might, trying to move the plane 12 feet faster than all of the other teams.

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For the tenth consecutive year, UPSers around the globe are coming together during October to participate in Global Volunteer Month. Joining with international organizations such as Special Olympics, The United Way, and The Salvation Army, as well as local groups such as animal shelters and soup kitchens, UPS people are working towards a goal of giving 195,000 volunteer hours during the month. Take a look at the video below to hear The UPS Foundation President Ed Martinez introducing Global Volunteer Month.

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This December marks the 60^th anniversary of The UPS Foundation. Our founder, Jim Casey, a visionary in so many ways, was practicing the concepts of “Corporate Citizenship” and “Corporate Social Responsibility” in 1951 long before those words even existed. I’m thankful that I work for a company with a heart. After all, we do love logistics.

I came to The UPS Foundation just over one year ago after eleven years in corporate marketing. The desire to work in the foundation and have a job that allows me to give back started back in 2005. I was selected to attend the UPS Community Internship in McAllen,Texas.  For one month, I was relieved of my daily office responsibilities and asked to do service work in this extremely challenged community. Those thirty days changed my perspective on life. I became thankful for the things I had, and less wishful for those I didn’t.

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Global Volunteer Month is held each October to encourage volunteerism and to honor the contributions of UPS employees and their families who provide more than one million hours of volunteer service annually with local community-based non-profit organizations.

I and other West Region UPS employees recently volunteered at Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter (OCIS) in Costa Mesa, CA. OCIS focuses on changing the lives of homeless families by providing them tools for achieving self-sufficiency.

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For the ninth October, UPS employees around the world have joined with their friends and family to take part in volunteer projects in local communities.  At UPS, we call it Global Volunteer Month. 

This October, UPS expects our volunteers to complete 275,000 hours of service by painting, landscaping, and building in places like Brazil, Hong Kong, and Louisville, Kentucky.  And, we’re well on our way to reaching that goal.

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UPS Global Volunteer Month five years after Katrina

Thanksgiving has always been a day for me to reflect on the good fortune in my life. I am often reminded on this holiday that the things I cherish the most are often those I did not seek or expect.

As we drove through the neighborhoods of New Orleans on the way to St. Bernard Parish last month, I was in awe of the resilience of the people in the city. Recovering from disaster requires resources like tools or money; but without belief, determination, or spirit most would find little success.

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