Thanks to the generosity and dedication of Western Union employees, communities around the world are getting a much-needed helping hand in 2009. Throughout the month of October 2008 (and into November), Western Union employees around the world joined their colleagues to give back to their communities as part of company-sponsored community service projects and to contribute to the Western Union Foundation's Employee Giving Campaign.
An unprecedented thirty-three percent of Western Union employees from locations all around the globe participated in the 2008 Western Union Foundation Employee Giving Campaign. From building a family house to packaging food and toys for children to assisting children with a parent working abroad, one by one our employees made a difference.
The October 2008 Month of Giving was the highest participation rate in the history of the Western Union Foundation. In APAC, 84 percent of employees made a contribution, while in Costa Rica 400 new employees became donors. In total, Western Union employees committed to donate over $384,000 (before company match) in 2009.