Boston, Massachusetts
COVID-19 has impacted our local communities, many facing increased hardships physically, financially and emotionally. Local nonprofits have seen their support dwindle in the face of the pandemic with some having to close their doors. Losing these services impacts all of us – it impacts our friends, our communities and most importantly, the health and welfare of patients that drive what we do each day.
Those realities make the annual Roche Children’s Walk even more important. Globally, the company holds walks across several countries focused solely on support of vulnerable children. Each individual Roche site participates by selecting a local youth charity in need. Their employees support these charities by donating their dollars and showing their solidarity through a physical walk. These children in our local communities need our help now more than ever.
In 2020, our annual Children’s Walk was unexpectedly moved to a virtual setting due to necessary pandemic restrictions. Nearly one year later, Roche sites in Arizona, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington State joined forces to walk together toward new beginnings – the 2021 theme! These walks across our respective campuses benefited nonprofit organizations aimed at bettering the lives of children. With our employee support, these charities can continue to serve the needs of children and all of the money raised locally will be matched by individual sites to support one major global project.
This is the third year that Roche Diagnostics has supported Youth On Their Own (YOTO) through their annual walk, and we are so grateful! Our mission is to ensure that students experiencing homelessness have access to basic human needs so they can focus their attention on graduating high school. Each dollar donated ensures we can follow through on these goals, providing YOTO youth with food, clothing, hygiene items, bus passes, school supplies, computer access and much more.– Elizabeth Slater, CEO, Youth On Their Own, Tucson, Arizona
Branchburg, New Jersey
As the company’s largest philanthropic event, the Children’s Walk has raised over $20 million with the help of over 248,000 employees across the globe. The funds raised not only go towards local children’s charities but also support the Roche Group’s ongoing efforts to serve underprivileged children in Malawi, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Nepal, India and other developing countries through their Re&Act program.
It fills me with pride to see our colleagues across the United States come together this year to walk, some in person and others virtual, in support of vulnerable youth, especially during the pandemic. Whether working with children impacted by disease, disability, grief, homelessness, inequity or food insecurity, knowing that Roche makes a small difference to ensure these nonprofits can continue their work is one of the reasons I love my job.– Carole Puls, head of community engagement, Roche Diagnostics Corporation
Tucson, Arizona
We want to sincerely thank our local nonprofits for the incredible work they do 365 days a year. A huge shoutout to Youth On Their Own, Casa de los Niños, The Taylor Family Foundation, Jameson Camp, Uplift Family Services, Friends of the Children Seattle, Christopher’s Haven, AIDS Resource Foundation for Children and the Healthier Kids Foundation.
