Contrary To Corporate Trend, Workers Remain Committed To Volunteering (NAPSA)—American workers are committed to volunteering. At the same time, they believe employers are actually pulling back Global Volunteer Day is held the first Saturday in October. In 2001, there were 37,000 volun- teers that participated in 837 projects in 18 countries, all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The volunteers consisted of employees and their from community involvement. That’s a key finding of a recent Prudential Financial survey showing that 80 percent of employees express a willingness to participate in companyvolunteer programs. However, only 54 percent of those surveyed believe their employers support or encourage volunteerism. That's a 12 percent decline since 1998. And, according to the survey, only two of five companies that do provide volunteer programs encourage family involvement. Other findings of the survey include: Fewer than half of those surveyed report that their employer sponsors volunteer programs. A vast majority of part-time employees—83 percent—say they would participate in a corporatesponsored volunteer program. In the 35-to-44 age group, 51 percent of employees say their employer encourages family participation in company sponsored volunteer programs. But not all companies are pulling back. Prudential Financial, for example, continues to expand its Global Volunteer Day, now in its eighth year. Global Volunteer Day started as Prudential Financial’s National families and friends. A recent survey suggests that employees welcome volunteer programs sponsored by their employers. Volunteer Day. “We wanted something that would get many employees involved in their communities along with their families and friends,” said Gabriella Morris, president of The Prudential Foundation and vice president of community resources. This grew into a Prudential tradition that is making a difference in communities across the globe. Thefirst Volunteer Day in 1995 involved more than 5,000 Pruden- tial employees and their families in over 100 community service projects. Volunteers picked the organization in their community for which they would volunteer. Children are invited to participate as well, depending on the age of the child, location of the project andthe type of work being done. Prudential associates and their neighbors collected food, worked at food banks and soup kitchens, cleaned parks and camps, painted shelters and schools, fixed senior citizen’s homes and held Halloween parties for children in need. “For more than a century, Prudential has been committed to contributing resources to the communities in which we have a presence,” said Art Ryan, Chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. “The need of these communities has never been greater than it is today,” added Ryan. “Global Volunteer Day is a simple extension of Prudential’s commitment to and involvement in communities around the world. It’s part of the fabric of our company.” To learn more about the survey or strategies for corporate involvement that could be used by other employers, visit the Web site at www.prudential.com.
