Local community support: Helping those in need
In addition to our focus on education, we also provide grants to meet pressing community needs through disaster relief and health and human services organisations.
Disaster Relief
In times of crisis, we provide support to employees and family members. Within the United States, we do this through the Pitney Bowes Relief Fund. Outside the US, we conduct global appeals to support organisations such as the Red Cross / Red Crescent Society, with matching funds provided by the Pitney Bowes Foundation.
Pitney Bowes Relief Fund
Founded in 1992, the Pitney Bowes Relief Fund is a US public charity that offers support to employees, family members and others whose lives have been disrupted by natural disasters or personal misfortunes. The Fund is financed by employee contributions and matching funds from our annual US Employee Giving Campaign. Administered for Pitney Bowes by the Salvation Army, the Fund has distributed more than $3 million to provide food, shelter, clothing and medical care while also providing referrals to community-based resources for additional support. Since Pitney Bowes pays for all administrative expenses, 100% of employee contributions and matching funds go directly to support those in need.
Red Cross
In support of our communities and the Red Cross, Pitney Bowes and our employees partner with the Red Cross on frequent blood drives. In 2015, the American Red Cross presented Pitney Bowes with a Connecticut Blood Service Top Sponsor Appreciation Award in recognition of the outstanding partnership provided by the Pitney Bowes team in Danbury, Connecticut. In 2014, Danbury employees made 155 donations impacting 465 lives.
Salvation Army
In addition to partnering with the Salvation Army in conjunction with the Pitney Bowes Relief Fund, we provide grants to many Salvation Army chapters in times of particular need. 2015 grantees recipients included chapters serving Reading PA, Kansas City MO, Indianapolis IN, Alexandria VA and Seattle WA.
Providing Access to Food, Shelter and Healthcare
While most of our philanthropy focuses on literacy and education, we recognise that children in low-income families are often at risk of having other fundamental needs unmet. For this reason, the Pitney Bowes Relief Fund and Pitney Bowes Foundation regularly provide funding to organisations that help individuals and families gain access to healthy, nourishing food, affordable medical and mental health care, shelter for those in transition, and special services for women and children at risk. The organisations we support include:
United Way
Pitney Bowes is proud to partner with United Way to ensure the health and well being of our communities. Through United Way’s focus on education, income and health, and programmes such as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) that target support to individuals and families struggling to sustain themselves through hardships.
Food Banks
We support numerous food banks around the US, including the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, CT, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Connecticut Food Bank, Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, Greater Berks Food Bank, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Food Bank of Lincoln Nebraska, Atlanta Community Food Bank and New Covenant House of Hospitality (Stamford CT).
Shelters
Among the many shelters we support are Pacific House / Shelter for the Homeless (Stamford, CT), Fox Valley Warming Shelter (Appleton WI), St. Joseph’s House and Shelter, Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Dorothy Day Hospitality House, Trinity River Mission and Capital City Rescue Mission.
TEAM Inc. (Valley Area, Fairfield County CT)
TEAM is a regional antipoverty agency whose services include early childhood education, food programmes, senior services, meals on wheels, transport, energy assistance, home ownership and education.
Child Guidance Center (Lower Fairfield County, CT)
The Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut (CGC) offers services to help reduce emotional suffering and dysfunctional behaviour, strengthen families, and help children and teenagers realise their potential. CGC offers specialised outpatient services as well as a Healthy Development and School Success programme integrating mental health treatment with classroom-based strategies for children with school functioning problems.
Stamford Hospital (CT)
Pitney Bowes is proud to support the new Stamford Hospital, opening in September 2016 to offer a new level of care in a patient-centred environment designed to enhance patient-provider interactions, family involvement and integrative therapies. Building features include an expanded emergency department, heart and vascular institute, a new paediatric unit, a new cancer treatment centre and state-of-the-art surgical suites.
AmeriCares Free Clinics (Danbury, CT)
AmeriCares brings together skilled volunteers and donated services from area health care providers to serve neighbours in need. AmeriCares provides comprehensive health services including medications, lab work and diagnostic testing to the working poor, who would otherwise forgo or delay care until they have a medical emergency.
Inspirica (Stamford, CT)
Inspirica's mission is to break the cycle of homelessness by helping people achieve and maintain permanent housing and stability in their lives. In addition to helping participants prepare for, find and maintain adequate employment to secure permanent housing, Inspirica also focuses on the needs of children to ensure that each child's experience of homelessness is temporary and does not impede his or her academic, social and physical development.
Liberation Programs Spirit of Hope Award (Fairfield County, CT)
Liberation Programs honoured Pitney Bowes in April 2016 with its Spirit of Hope Award for five decades of generous support that has helped thousands of individuals in Fairfield County recover from addiction.