Pfizer employees pledge to serve the community through volunteer work

Human Resources: Recognising National Volunteer Week 2022, Pfizer Australia has released the company’s sixth Pfizer CARES (Community Collaboration and Responsible Environment and Economic Stewardship) report, charting the progress of Pfizer colleagues’ contribution to supporting patients, the community, colleagues and the environment in which it operates.

While launching in Volunteer Week, the Pfizer CARES program is underpinned by broad-ranging community service going beyond volunteering alone.

“The Pfizer CARES program has always has been about how we care for patients, colleagues, community and our environment. We do this by providing high quality medicines, as well as community investments, such as charitable corporate donations, colleague fundraising and volunteering our time for our community and environment,” said Anne Harris, Pfizer Australia & New Zealand Managing Director.

Mark Pearce is the CEO of Volunteering Australia, said “Volunteering is a deeply personal experience. When we volunteer, we offer our most valuable asset – our time – in order to render the otherwise impossible, possible. Through our volunteering we enrich the lives of others, we strengthen our society, and we build the connectedness of our communities.”

Ms Harris added “It is through the considered choices we make every day and the caring, inclusive and diverse culture we create at Pfizer that we are delivering on our purpose: to bring breakthroughs that change patients’ lives.

“The 2021 scorecard for the Pfizer CARES Program is significant despite limited face to face volunteering opportunities and disruption during the pandemic. I am incredibly proud of Pfizer colleagues and the vast impact they are making through their work, their passion to deliver breakthroughs for patients and their commitment to making a difference to the community we serve,” she said.

Leigh Simmonds, Pfizer ANZ CSR Lead, said “Pfizer colleagues dedicate four volunteer days a year to support causes dear to them. Regrettably COVID-19 became a barrier in 2021 to many volunteer activities we are used to doing, like face-to-face volunteering in the community. Despite this challenge we continued to raise money, pivoted to virtual volunteering opportunities, and continued to support patient organisations where their services were in even greater demand due to COVID-19.

“This Volunteer Week, we have seen more than 100 colleagues pledge to serve the community through volunteer work so we are off to a strong start in 2022.

“Our charity of choice The Smith Family continues to be a rewarding partnership enabling us to help change the course of intergenerational disadvantage for more than 70 students, including 26 Aboriginal students through our Learning For Life Scholarship funding,” Ms Simmonds said.

Among some highlights of the Pfizer CARES program over 2021 are:

• PATIENTS – More than 8.3 million patients were treated with a Pfizer medicine aside from the COVID-19 vaccine program; 355 colleague blood donations helped saved 1,065 lives; 80 families sought comfort through Pfizer-sponsored Ronald McDonald House family accommodation; and $700,000 in grants and donations was made to patient groups and charities Pfizer supports.
• COLLEAGUES – Comprehensive Health & Safety program during COVID-19 and 6 Colleague Resource Groups actively engaging in Diversity & Inclusion programs. One of those groups launched Pfizer’s first Reconciliation Action Plan in March 2022 aimed at helping lower health inequities experienced by First Nations people and communities.
• COMMUNITY – The Smith Family, Pfizer’s charity partner of choice, opened up important volunteering activities, such as letter-writing to students, student mentoring, and record colleague donations towards the charity’s toy and gift appeal. Pfizer supports more than 70 young people in the Smith Family’s Learning for Life scholarship program. In total, more than $150,000 was contributed towards Pfizer’s charity partners, including The Smith Family, the McGrath Foundation, the Australian Red Cross, and the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.
• ENVIRONMENT – Reducing waste and energy consumption continues to be business as usual for Pfizer globally, and the Australian business joins the charge with plans to activate the use of solar energy in manufacturing and waste reduction strategies.

“This year’s Report also documents colleagues’ incredible efforts in reducing waste and innovating around environmental impacts, as well as donating blood, raising funds for causes close to them, and going the extra mile to support patient groups as genuine partners in the community we serve,” Simmonds added.