2011 Corporate Sustainability Report
“They were lacking basic human necessities such as care and love.”
Matthew Buckhold, Managing Director Kuala Lumpur Shared Services Center Steelcase Inc.
When a group of Steelcase employees in Kuala Lumpur first visited the House of Joy orphanage in search of a worthy community project they could support, they immediately saw opportunities to help.
At Steelcase locations around the globe, employee volunteerism has always been strongly supported as a way to give back to communities and create a more sustainable future.
Investing in community agencies is the heart of the Steelcase Friends InDeed employee volunteer program that began in 2004 in Grand Rapids, Mich. The effort has expanded each year and now most global locations have a formal employee volunteer initiative that falls under the umbrella corporate program.
During the past fiscal year alone, 826 employees logged 5,798 volunteer hours toward the global Friends InDeed effort. The House of Joy project is just one of many examples of how these efforts are helping communities while also strengthening the culture of social responsibility and world sustainability within Steelcase.
Matthew agrees. "Internally, we create good teamwork whereby all participants know each other even though they are from different departments. In the community, Steelcase is recognized as a responsible company that drives such activities. This strengthens our reputation as a whole."
At the House of Joy, clean-up days, celebrations, and gifts and donations of equipment and appliances have improved the children's quality of life. As important, the Kuala Lumpur team is teaching crafts, organizing outings - such as a recent one to learn firsthand about the jungle ecology of Malaysia - and engaging in ongoing mentoring activities. By investing in this orphanage, the effort goes beyond philanthropy to social and community sustainability.
"The biggest opportunity within the House of Joy is education. Most children don't go to school. It's not because there isn't a school for them, it's because they have lost interest and hope. When a child has lost their parental love and care, education is not the main priority for them."
"Maybe we can inspire their future paths. Every journey begins with a single step. What they need is to know they have opportunity in their lives." ■
