Across North America, Henkel employees generously volunteer their time and talents to improve the lives of others. Henkel supports the work of our employee volunteers through the “Make an Impact on Tomorrow” (MIT) Initiative. This is a global program that has sponsored more than 4,400 volunteer projects in 105 countries since it began in 1998.

Any Henkel employee or retiree who performs volunteer work can apply for support. The MIT Initiative offers financial support and paid time off from work for employees to complete their volunteer projects.

The MIT Initiative has two components that support a variety of non-profit organizations involved in social, cultural, educational, environmental, and charitable activities:

• MIT Children’s Projects – These are for projects that specifically benefit children and adolescents.
• MIT Community Projects – These are for projects that benefit all age groups.

Here are some examples of recent MIT projects in North America:

Six years ago, hundreds of orphans known as the “Lost Boys” made a grueling exodus from Sudan to Phoenix, Arizona. They are among the survivors of a civil war in Sudan in the late 1980s who saw their families killed and their villages destroyed. After living for years in refugee camps, about 4,000 survivors were relocated in 2001 to the U.S. and other countries. About 500 boys and young men live in Phoenix, the largest community of Lost Boys in the U.S.

In 2003, the Arizona Lost Boys Center opened its doors to provide the refugees with education, employment, and health services as well as sports and recreational activities. Kate Huffman, an attorney at The Dial Corporation in nearby Scottsdale, volunteers at the Lost Boys Center with fundraising (including MIT funds from Henkel), counseling the boys, and helping them obtain medical care, legal assistance, and housing. This past year, Kate helped co-host a Thanksgiving dinner for several of the boys.

Gina Ludwig has a mission: to get kids excited about chemistry and science. In 1997, she and two other volunteers in the Detroit area started a chapter of “Kids and Chemistry,” a program sponsored by the American Chemical Society. The program is geared to children ages 7 to 12 and uses plenty of hands-on experiments to spark their interest in science at an early age. Gina has volunteered countless hours to the program, teaching children that chemistry is fun and can be a rewarding career path. 

Gina, who is a research chemist at the Henkel Automotive headquarters in Madison Heights, Michigan, has hosted more than 30 events, including several events for inner-city children, in the hope that exposure to chemistry will encourage them to think positively about their future. She tries to inspire her students and let them know that they can be chemists if they want to be- no matter what their background is. MIT support from Henkel helps provide laboratory supplies for the program.

For kids with physical disabilities, getting to have your physical therapy in a swimming pool makes the whole experience a lot more fun. California Pools of Hope in Long Beach is a non-profit organization that offers a variety of rehabilitation programs to improve the health and quality of life of children with disabilities, as well as adults who need physical therapy.

Tom Van Tassel, a computer analyst at Henkel’s electronics office in Industry, California, volunteers at California Pools of Hope and assists with the children’s exercise classes. The warm water, heated to between 91 and 94 degrees, is great for arthritis and other conditions. The exercise classes provide a low-impact workout for the kids, and the young, energetic staff make the whole experience fun. MIT funding from Henkel helps Pools of Hope offer more programs for children.