Helping Our Communities by Helping Out
September 26, 2024 Posted by: Eli Lilly and Company
It's true: the people who work here really care about what we do.
It's (even more) true: the people who work here care about people. We care about the people we work with, the people our work impacts, and the people in our communities.
That's why we work hard every day, across the globe, to make medicines that make people's lives better.
And that’s why volunteering in our communities—and beyond—is so important.
From hundreds of team members getting together to plant trees, paint murals, make chemo blankets, or build houses in a single day—to small groups traveling across the globe to volunteer in under-resourced communities—our employees go beyond our medicines to help others.
And whether it's in-person and physically taxing (sweat and all!) or a virtual project that involves talking to zero strangers (introverts are welcome here!), our internal team of philanthropic planners is dedicated to providing diverse, fulfilling, and impactful opportunities for all employees. What does some of our programming look like? Glad you asked.
Global Day of Service
Our purpose is "to make life better for people around the world."
Lilly's Global Day of Service (GDOS) puts that intention into action.
Since 2008, thousands of our employees across 65 countries have gathered—in person and virtually—to volunteer within their communities. This all-day event prioritizes partnerships with local organizations and nonprofits whose work supports our mission to promote healthy lives, healthy minds, and healthy communities. Many GDOS projects focus on health, STEM education, community enrichment, food insecurity, and more.
So far, we have volunteered a combined 1 million hours (about 114 years!) through these initiatives.
GDOS projects have included painting murals in collaboration with local artists and neighborhoods; education and beautification projects for nearby schools and parks; career coaching and resume building for citizens in our towns; blood donations; building table beds for community gardens, and more. For additional information on Lilly's Global Day of Service, visit this page.
Connecting Hearts Abroad
Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Every year since 2011, employees from different geographies and roles within the company come together and volunteer in under-resourced communities worldwide. Selected from a pool of hundreds of applicants, the 150 chosen employees travel in small teams to urban or remote locations around the globe for a multi-week, on-the-ground volunteer experience.
Through Connecting Hearts Abroad (CHA), we partner with global and local organizations to ensure that our representatives serve alongside communities in the most effective ways possible. The CHA program focuses on health care inequities, access to care, and cultural immersion.
"It truly underscores the commitment that Lilly has to expanding health care and our vision of making people’s lives better across the world," said Myriam Currier, a CHA global volunteer.
00:00
[Graphic: A white logo on a red background says, "Lilly. Connecting Hearts Abroad." Warm, upbeat instrumental music.]
00:04
[Brightly colored laundry hangs outside a small house with a dirt path leading to it.]
00:05
[A view of a different house is seen from beyond a wire fence. Green mountains stand beyond it. The video then cuts to three people dressed in PPE moving around a dimly lit room. One person helps another tie their surgical gown.]
Daniel: I think it's good to come out of your comfort zone and do something like this, because I never thought I would do anything like this.
00:13
[Daniel sits in a chair, wearing a black t-shirt with a name badge clipped to it. His name and title appear on the screen, Daniel Hegarty, Finance Controller Lilly.]
Daniel: Always said I would like to, but now that I'm here, I’m 100% glad that I have. It's a brilliant experience.
00:19
[Daniel puts on a medical mask. The video cuts to three people in PPE arranging a table of surgical instruments.]
Daniel: It will stay with you forever, really.
00:21
[Daniel reviews chart with another program volunteer.]
00:22
[Marcie sits in a chair, wearing a black t-shirt. Her name and title appear, Marcie Bonilla, Training Associate, Learning and Development Lilly. The video cuts to Marcie speaking to a child in a classroom.]
Marcie: It's hard work, it's not vacation, but it's a rewarding hard work.
00:28
[Marcie, wearing a red Team Lilly t-shirt, stands before a group of people outdoors, some sitting and some standing. The video cuts to a close-up of Marcie speaking.]
Myriam: It truly underscores the commitment that Lilly has
00:33
[Myriam sits in a chair wearing a black t-shirt. Her name and title appear, Myriam Currier, Account Manager - New England Lilly.]
Myriam: to expanding healthcare and expanding our vision 00:39
[Myriam sits in a chair on a patio, in a circle with six other people.]
Myriam: of making people's lives better across the world.
00:42
[Myriam stands behind a table draped in red with people standing around it. The video cuts to a man in a white, zip-up sweatshirt speaking to a group of people.]
Narrator: Every year, Lilly sends about 150 employees to serve in under-resourced
00:47
[One person’s hand lightly grips another person's arm. The camera pans up to reveal a female volunteer taking someone's blood pressure.]
Narrator: communities across the globe through Connecting Hearts Abroad, one of the company's signature volunteer programs.
00:53
[Three volunteers organize supplies. The video cuts to a group of men and women walking down a sidewalk toward the camera. The video cuts to a close-up of a man and woman talking.]
Narrator: These volunteers come from all levels of the company and represent diverse disciplines, skills, countries, and perspectives.
01:00
[Close-up of the hands of three volunteers as they write and handle paperwork. The camera pans to a close-up of the two volunteers.]
Narrator: They come together as teams to work alongside leading health organizations
01:04
[Older woman speaks to someone off-camera while two volunteers fill out paperwork.]
Narrator: to help address healthcare inequities through sustainable solutions.
01:08
[Close-up of a person's shoes as they step onto a bathroom scale.]
Ben: One of the things that you get when you're working with a group like Lilly
01:11
[An instructor stands in front of a room full of people holding a piece of paper.]
Ben: is additional expertise and skills that those volunteers
01:15
[Two volunteers are seated next to one another wearing surgical masks.]
Ben: can bring to a mobile clinic or any of the projects that we're doing
01:18
[Close-up of Ben, wearing a collared shirt and blue hat. His name and title appear on the screen, Ben Erker, Director of Impact & Evaluation Global Brigades.]
Ben: in terms of improving the outcomes or the services delivered to a community.
01:23
[Close-up of female volunteer speaking to a patient. The video cuts to two volunteers interacting with group of patients outside. The video cuts to two volunteers demonstrating dental hygiene on a teeth model. The video cuts to a close-up of a volunteer looking down at paperwork.]
Narrator: These service programs give employees the opportunity to live out Lilly's purpose beyond their professional roles and extend the company's impact through health-centered volunteering.
01:34
[A volunteer wearing a surgical mask uses a medical instrument to examine a person's ear.]
Melissa: In our day-to-day jobs, our day-to-day work, we're very often the subject matter experts.
01:39
[Melissa is seated, dressed in a brown blazer. Her name and title appear on the screen, Melissa Coe, Associate VP - Lilly Equity Corporate Initiatives.]
Melissa: And here, it's really taking a step back and looking at the world differently,
01:43
[Close-up of Lilly Connecting Hearts Abroad banner. The video cuts to Melissa clapping her hands together. The video cuts to a hand on a child's back, wearing a purple sweater. The video cuts to Melissa leaning down to a child's level.]
Melissa: getting to know the people, getting to know the culture, getting to understand what their challenges are
01:49
[Close-up of Melissa speaking.]
Melissa: before you jump into trying to create solutions.
01:53
[A volunteer in a surgical mask uses a stethoscope to listen to someone's lungs. The video cuts to an older woman and a young boy walking side-by-side in front of a building. The video cuts to the same older woman and young boy walking on a dirt road.]
Luis: So we work together with the community to establish goals under development, and we apply our programs through those components.
02:02
[Housing structures among trees are seen from the road.]
Luis: That gives sustainability to all of the activities,
02:04
[Luis stands near playground equipment, wearing a button-down shirt. His name and title appear on the screen, Luis Quan - Executive Director, Global Bridages Honduras.]
Luis: because they are the ones who understand what an improvement means to them.
02:08
[Graphic: A sepia-toned map of the world moves away from the camera.]
Narrator: Since the launch of Connecting Hearts Abroad in 2011,
02:12
[Graphic: In white text on a red background, a number counts quickly up to 2,097 before disappearing.]
Narrator: about 2,000 Lilly employees, globally, have volunteered in under-resourced communities across the world.
02:17
[Graphic: Red markers appear on the map in North America, South America, Central America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. One by one, more markers appear in each of these areas.]
Narrator: Volunteers have served with more than a dozen health partners and cared for thousands of patients through mobile medical clinics, community health projects, and programs to improve cancer and diabetes care.
02:30
[Four volunteers in white polo shirts, one holding a microphone and another a poster, stand in front of a classroom of people.]
Narrator: Their work contributes to Lilly 30 by 30,
02:34
[A close-up of a woman wearing a white polo shirt is seen talking and laughing.]
Narrator: the company's goal to improve quality healthcare for 30 million people in resource-limited settings annually, by 2030.
02:41
[Marcie is wearing a red Team Lilly t-shirt, and another woman wearing a yellow t-shirt are outdoors, talking to a group of people.]
Jenny: To service the people of the community
02:45
[Medium shot of Jenny, wearing a white t-shirt, seated outdoors. The video cuts to a close-up of Jenny talking. Her name and title appear on the screen, Jenny Najera - Medical Brigades Director, Global Brigades Honduras.]
Jenny: and to work and to see people from other countries to come and work side by side with you is something that makes you stay here and want to be here.
02:53
[A conference room with eight visible people seated around a table. A woman is speaking. The video cuts to a man speaking from behind a desk. The video cuts to Carole speaking.]
Narrator: Through these partnerships, Connecting Hearts Abroad is changing lives.
02:58
[Carole stands near a window wearing a black blazer. Her name and title appear on the screen, Carole McAteer - Director - Pharmaceutical Project Management, Lilly.]
Carole: I think some things I can take back into my context of being a leader at Lilly
03:07
[A group of people sit and stand in two rows for a photo, they are all looking in the same direction and smiling.]
Carole: is to really focus on continuing to build relationships with people that I serve,
03:11
[A man in a button-down shirt shakes another man's hand. The video cuts to Carole speaking.]
Carole: as well as learning from one another and having those relationships inform how we work back home,
03:17
[Volunteers hug one another. The video cuts to an aerial view of a building with a red roof, with blue block letters that say "AMPATH CENTRE."]
Carole: as well as here.
03:18
[A woman in a white polo shirt walks among rows of seated people while talking into a microphone.]
Cynthia: As you hear volunteers talk about the ability to step out of their roles,
03:25
[Close-up of hands painting onto posterboard with tempera paints.]
Cynthia: connect with each other,
03:26
[Cynthia speaks, wearing a black blazer. Her name and title appear on the screen, Cynthia Cardona - Head of Social Impact, Lilly.]
Cynthia: connect with the community members in their different project sites, and then really walk away
03:31
[A group of people are standing and appear to be singing and clapping.]
Cynthia: as a changed person. I think that's what's inspiring,
03:33
[Cynthia reappears on the screen. The video cuts to an aerial shot of a city.]
Cynthia: that they're walking away with that experience, but also leaving a very special impact behind.
03:40
[A close-up shot of Marcie who is sitting down.]
Marcie: Connecting Hearts Abroad means pure love, amor puro.
03:46
[Graphic: A heart shape closes in and becomes part of the white logo on a red background, says, "Lilly. Connecting Hearts Abroad." It appears with warm, upbeat instrumental music.]
03:49
[Graphic: Lilly logo appears.]
Connecting Hands, Hearts and Causes
While our 45,000 employees are located in 100 countries worldwide, Indianapolis is our home base. Connecting Hearts at Home focuses on year-round efforts within our home state to make Indiana the best place to live and work.
It's important that our volunteer opportunities aren’t confined to a company-wide schedule—and that as employees, we can support organizations and causes we're passionate about.
Connecting Hearts at Home (CHH) allows teams and departments to form long-term relationships with community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and schools. In Indianapolis, an application process is completed by employees, and grants are provided by CHH and The United Way of Central Indiana.
When an organization receives a grant with CHH, the person who applied for the grant commits to volunteering year-round, building relationships with the organization's employees and the people they serve, and furthering the group's mission.
We encourage employees to make an impact in their communities throughout the year.
We have access to an ever-growing self-service portal of year-round volunteer programs and projects. These opportunities expand beyond our company-wide offerings, with the option to filter based on personal interests and passions.
Additionally, for those who prefer to give financially, our Lilly Foundation matches donations that provide support to organizations, including those focused on health equity and education. In 2023 alone, the Lilly Foundation matched over $6.2 million in contributions.
Because we care about people.