How do you make compassion a business requirement?

As a company so connected to the community, it’s no wonder that our team members and our company place such a tremendous importance on giving back to the people in our neighborhoods, as well as the organizations that serve them. Walgreens supports a wide variety of efforts: whether it’s simply offering the flexibility team members need to volunteer their time for important causes like Relay For Life or helping them facilitate fundraisers, you’ll find that our commitment to your causes is just part of who we are.

These are just a few of their amazing stories.

Marching in the 2009 Suncoast Superboat Grand Prix parade.

Our employees in our Sarasota district, partnering with a local hospital, marched in the 2009 Suncoast Superboat Grand Prix parade. Two ambulances and a polished Walgreens truck greeted a crowd of 25,000 with giant banners, flashing lights and giveaways. “This local event represents a step in a new direction for our company – expanded healthcare services supported in part by on-site pharmacies in hospitals," says Matt L., Sarasota District Manager. Leo H., a local Walgreens store manager, adds, “Our customers support our stores every day. It's nice to give something back that's fun for us and good for the community.”

Organizing a wellness fair.

To generate awareness about available health services, one of our stores in Birmingham, Alabama organized a wellness fair with 12 area healthcare providers. Among those in attendance were local pharmacy students who provided blood pressure screenings, a diabetes counselor who gave guidance and free blood glucose monitors, and a local AIDS organization that administered free HIV tests. “It was the first time a lot of these people came to our store,” says Walgreens store manager Weaver H. “They were grateful that we took the time to put together all of these local health providers and health information.” Almost 400 people attended the fair, which included a DJ, free food, photos with the Easter Bunny and face painting.

Haiti Relief Efforts.

In the midst of the devastation in Haiti, the personal response from Walgreens team members has been incredible. Since we announced our $100,000 donation to the Red Cross and our plan to match employee donations up to $50,000, team members from every corner of the country have already surpassed the $50,000 mark. More than 1,000 team members have let us know they donated.

Our other efforts have included donating four semi-trailers of non-perishable food, medical supplies, hygiene products and bottled water, which will be shipped to Haiti through an aid organization; launching a Red Cross contribution program at our store¹s registers; and partnering with United Airlines to fill a cargo jet with 20,000 bottles of water.

"Walgreens goes all out to bring people closer together and enrich relationships with the most innovative communication solutions available. We start by offering meaningful technology and the smartest service plans. Then, we bring it all together with a passion for service that customers rave about."