Print This PageEmployees, Children Work Together to Help People in Need
Monsanto employees historically have shown great generosity in giving and helping others. In 2005, the Monsanto Fund contributed $12.6 million in grants to organizations and projects around the world. In addition to Monsanto Fund contributions, individuals and groups around Monsanto annually contribute to worthy causes on their own initiative through a variety of different venues.
This
year, the North American/Latin America North Customer Operations and U.S. Commercial
groups have teamed up with their children to create the "What Compassion and Kindness
Means to Me" calendar. The 2007 calendar features drawings from 17 children of Monsanto
employees working in Customer Operations and U.S. Commercial. The children were
asked to draw pictures showing what "compassion and kindness" means to them.
Proceeds from the calendar benefit the 100 Neediest Cases of St. Louis, Missouri, a program coordinated by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the United Way. The program helps individuals and groups reach out to specific families in need. The Monsanto Fund works with the 100 Neediest Cases to distribute family cases to groups at Monsanto’s Creve Coeur and Chesterfield sites. Currently, 26 families have been "adopted" by various employee groups at Monsanto.
Shirley
Fox, administrative assistant, is a member of the team that coordinates Customer
Operations and U.S. Commercial giving each year to the 100 Neediest Cases. This
year the group has adopted 10 families from the 100 Neediest Cases and two families
from the St. Louis Crisis
Nursery. The nursery, committed to preventing child abuse, provides a 24-hour
safe shelter and special care for children whose families are facing an emergency
or crisis.
"Every year our group tries to come up with creative ways to raise money for the 100 Neediest Cases," said Fox. "We have a very giving department, and Monsanto as a whole seems to be very giving."
In recent years, the group has done a variety of things to raise money, from selling cookbooks to hosting bake sales and silent auctions. This year, it wanted to do something different and decided to create the calendar with the help of employees’ children. "We thought the calendar was very creative," said Fox. "The drawings by the children are wonderful, and everyone really likes it. I’ve had one person buy 10 copies."
The
money collected from these fund-raising efforts will all go to the families adopted.
The program allows the group to provide a cash gift of up to $200 per family, or
non-monetary gifts like clothing, toys, gift certificates and food. Funds are also
designated for specific purposes like utility bills, rent, medical equipment and
tuition.
"The families we are helping have very sad stories," said Fox. For example, one family recently lost the mother to cancer, and the father is struggling to raise six children.
Jill Gebken, a Customer Operations specialist, thought the calendar was a good project. Two of her children both have drawings in the calendar. "My son picked his coach teaching him how to play soccer as something nice someone did for him. My daughter picked sharing with others as something nice she could do. Young minds are amazing, and it is fun to watch them work."
Here is what some children said they were thinking about when they were drawing their pictures for the calendar:
"Sometimes people just need a little help because we are not all so lucky to have good families and money."
-- Shae, age 11"I was thinking about making people happy and helping others."
-- Casey, age 9"I don't know ... I was just thinking that I like to share."
-- Ella, age 4"I learned that helping people is good ... and it is important to remember to help other people and thank the people that help you."
-- Andrew, age 6"I like to help because some people don't have a lot of money to get the things they need and I want to share some of mine to make them happy."
-- Jillian, age 5"Compassion is when you really put your heart into something. If you help others and you do it right, you both feel better."
-- Allison, age 9
