Fueling the Future: Empowering Communities Through Science and Service
Sanofi's commitment to making a positive impact extends far beyond the lab. So far in 2024, our employees have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to giving back through volunteerism, charitable donations, and community partnerships. From supporting local families in need to inspiring the next generation of scientists, Sanofi is driving meaningful change and fostering a brighter future for all.
While we approach the end of 2024, our employees’ dedication to our corporate social responsibility priorities is stronger than ever. While we sprint towards the end of the year, lets reflect on the progress made so far.
Celebrating Partnerships with Lasting Impact
This year has been monumental for several of our long-standing partnerships in the communities we have worked in for decades. For starters, the MassBay Community College’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Mentorship Program celebrated its 10th anniversary of facilitating one-on-one mentoring relationships between approximately 15-20 MassBay Community College STEM students and STEM professionals each year. The program has been so successful that Sanofi has employed over a dozen graduates from this program. To celebrate this year’s anniversary, Sanofi hosted a gathering at our Framingham site which brought together current and past participants to reflect on the program’s successes and hear firsthand from both mentors and mentees about the profound influence the program has had on their professional growth.
In Swiftwater, we celebrated our 30th year as a proud partner of the Pocono Services for Families and Children. Just this month we kicked off the 30th Annual Head Start Adopt a Family Drive which helps bring joy and relief to families facing significant hardships, living at or below the poverty line. By providing much-needed gifts and holiday assistance, we aim to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most. While annually we support about 30 families, this year we hope to double that total in honor of the 30th anniversary celebration.
Investing in the Future
Sanofi champions a future fueled by science, and that future starts with education. We have been proud partners of Discovery Education, a leader in providing a digital platform to support STEM education, who reached their 10 million student goal one year ahead of schedule. The offerings offered by Discovery Education have provided students skills and knowledge needed to consider degrees and careers in STEM.
To further fuel the future of science, Sanofi launched AIM: Achieve, Ignite, Mentor – a new mentor program that connects Sanofi employees with students from partner academic and non-profit institutions who are exploring a variety of career opportunities in the healthcare sector. In just its first year, the program has been a success most notably with AIM exposing 80% of mentees to a corporate environment for the first time and 64% of mentees indicating the program was their first introduction to the life sciences industry.
Sanofi employees participating in the launch of the Meal Recovery Coalition along with members of the community, including the New Jersey Governor.
Strengthening Our Communities
Beyond science, the overall wellbeing of our communities is equally important. Earlier this year, Sanofi joined other New Jersey based companies as a founding member of the Meal Recovery Coalition which aims to promote the recovery of healthy, surplus meals from large cafeterias and deliver them to food-insecure residents across New Jersey. The Coalition has set an ambitious goal to recover 500,000 meals annually by 2026, which will provide sustenance to an additional 6,400 people each week.
Back in Pennsylvania, we continue to support the Pocono Mountains Community Fundraiser since spearheading the group in 2004 to be a safety net of support for local non-profit organizations. This year, the annual event gathered over 220 people who raised more than $100,000.
Sanofi employees and members of the Pocono Mountains Community Fundraiser at this year’s event.
Giving Back Through Volunteering
Volunteerism is an important part of Sanofi’s corporate social responsibilities pillars. In fact, Sanofi offers up to 2 days off for employees to participate in volunteer activities.
While volunteerism is a year-round activity, we recognize each October as We Volunteer Month of Service. This year we had events focused on Earth Day, mental health, and cancer awareness – but it’s the numbers that speak volumes. In October alone, Sanofi employees logged over 5,000 hours of volunteerism which is three times greater than what they do each month. This was made possible by the more than 1,800 Sanofians who took part in We Volunteer Month of Service activities.
2024 has been a year of significant impact for Sanofi, driven by the dedication of our employees to give back to the communities where we live and work. As we approach the end of the year, we remain committed to fostering a brighter future for all and look forward to continuing our impactful work in 2025.