Solidarity Without Restrictions
One Year of Social Responsibility at FMUL
Corporate social responsibility is a sign of organizational maturity. The company ceases to look exclusively inwards and starts looking at its surroundings in terms of solidarity and positive involvement. Over the past years, organizational involvement in social initiatives has been gaining some consistency at FMUL. Still, 2011, coincidently the International Years of Volunteers, was a banner year, since an organizational structure devoted to social responsibility initiatives called Faculty to Help was officially put in place. The following describes an entire year of social responsibility initiatives in numbers and projects, in addition to other internal projects aimed at members of staff but which, nevertheless, fall within the scope of social responsibility.
On the occasion of the celebrations of the one hundredth anniversary of FMUL, Solidarity Without Restrictions was the motto adopted for 2011, and the first project was held at AMI. A group of 34 employees rendered operative about 700 collection boxes to be used in the campaigns that the institution carries out annually.
As usual, FMUL was involved in the Food Bank collection campaigns. Last year, in collaboration with the Shared Services of the University of Lisbon, we participated in two campaigns. The first took place on 29 May at El Corte Inglês and about 3000 Kg of essential goods were collected. The second was held on 26 and 27 November at the Pingo Doce Supermarket in Azinhaga das Galhardas, and the various teams involved succeeded to collect 3587 Kg of food.
The Moinho da Juventude Cultural Association carries out activities mostly linked to pre-school education at the Alto da Cova da Moura neighbourhood in Buraca and it was the recipient of our Children’s Books and School Materials Collection Campaign carried out among employees of FMUL. We delivered 63 children’s books, 43 writing pads/notebooks, 32 pencil cases, 30 filing folders and dossiers, 16 educational games, 1 bag containing several school materials (erasers, pencil sharpeners, rulers, arts materials, etc.), 1 bag with ballpoint and felt pens, 1 bag with colouring charcoal pencils, 1 bag with crayons, and 1 bag with markers.
The campaign to Register Bone Marrow Donors held on 3 November managed to attract 51 new donors. We express our thanks to the volunteers!
The Medical Screening Initiative, in partnership with the University Clinic of Medicine I, took place on 22 and 23 November and was aimed at non-teaching employees with the purpose of screening for some diseases. Sixty three members of staff signed up for this campaign, which consisted of weight management, blood pressure monitoring, and verification of body mass. Throughout the conversations held, advice was given on physical exercise, diet and smoking addiction. It is important to stress that the CHLN offered to accept in its Medical Consultation Clinic all medical cases requiring subsequent follow up.
One day at the Faculty was the activity that ended the year of 2011. This activity is aimed at the younger children of employees and included a children’s movie, face painting, drawing, Clown Doctors, Hospital for the Little Ones, and lots of entertainment.
The children had lunch with their parents, subject to prior planning by the organizing team of Faculty to Help and other employees who volunteered to help organizing this initiative.
Faculty to Help thanks all those involved in this project and counts on all of you in 2012. We take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year.
António Santos
antoniosantos@fm.ul.pt
