Supporting Local Food BanksOn December 17, 2009, the Genentech Foundation's Board of Directors approved grants to food banks in local communities. For the South San Francisco, CA, site, a grant of $50,000 was made to the San Francisco Food Bank, and a grant of $55,000 was made to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Additionally, grants were given to The Brother Benno Foundation and North County Solutions for Change, in the amounts of $70,000 and $90,000 respectively, to help the hungry and homeless in North San Diego County.
These grants by the Genentech Foundation supplement earlier giving programs. Between November 11 and November 20, employees at sites in South San Francisco, CA, Vacaville, CA, Oceanside, CA, and Hillsboro, OR, helped feed members of their communities through the second annual "Share Your Meal" program. Employees chose to share their meal by adding on a donation when they checked out at any campus cafeteria register. Employee donations benefited the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties in South San Francisco, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties, North County Solutions for Change in Oceanside and the Oregon Food Bank in Hillsboro.
Also in November and December, food barrels were placed in lobbies and cafes in South San Francisco in support of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, and food barrels were also available in buildings on the Vacaville campus to support VACAFISH and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties. Employees participated in a coat drive supporting One Warm Coat and donated to food barrels in Hillsboro.
To date, employee donations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties have contributed to 37,990 meals in the community. Genentech has also facilitated opportunities for employees to volunteer individually or in groups to support local food banks.
Giving Trees At Genentech locations in South San Francisco, Oceanside, and Hillsboro, employees are participating in the Giving Tree community donation program, in collaboration with the Salvation Army and the Family Giving Tree in South San Francisco, North County Solutions for Change in Oceanside, and Angel Tree and Toy N Joy Makers in Hillsboro. Employees select gift tags from trees displayed in the lobbies of many Genentech buildings and buy a variety of specifically requested gifts for children, seniors and families in need.
Holiday Bears For the eighth consecutive year, Genentech is making holiday bear donations on behalf of our employees to children treated at hospitals in our local communities. In early December, we started delivering teddy bears to 19 hospitals near our key sites in the California counties of Solano, San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Sacramento and North San Diego and in the Oregon counties of Portland and Hillsboro. In total, Genentech will donate and distribute more than 9,000 teddy bears this holiday season.
Family House This holiday season, the Genentech Foundation is partnering with Family House to give employees the opportunity to help pediatric cancer patients and their families. In building lobbies, there are gift cards available for employees to purchase, which can help these families meet their everyday needs, such as purchasing gas or buying groceries.
Company Quotes "Every holiday season Genentech employees join in giving back to our local communities and helping those children, families, seniors and patients who can benefit from our support. This year is no different. In addition to making gifts to individuals through our Giving Tree community donation programs, we are also partnering with Family House to help pediatric cancer patients and their families."
Ian T. Clark
Chief Executive Officer and Head of North American Commercial Operations
"As part of Genentech's ongoing commitment to support the needs of the communities in which we operate, we are pleased to announce financial donations from the Genentech Foundation to food banks in the Bay Area and San Diego communities to help address local high-priority needs. Our foundation donations complement employee giving programs, and it is our hope that through our combined efforts we can make a difference to those who need assistance this holiday season."
Richard H. Scheller, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Genentech Research & Early Development; Genentech Foundation Chair
Additional Information
- Download images of Genentech's Holiday Giving Programs below:
A child at Mills Health Center in Burlingame, CA, receives a toy bear through the Genentech holiday bear donation program, which will give over 9,000 bears to children at 19 hospitals this year. 
Vacaville employee Luis Bloise presents a toy bear to a child at Northbay Medical Center in Fairfield, CA, through the Genentech holiday bear donation program, which will give over 9,000 bears to children at 19 hospitals this year.
- Read more about Genentech's locations.
- Read more about Genentech's year-round Employee Involvement, Genentech Corporate Giving and the Genentech Foundation.
