Office Depot 2001 Annual Report Download - page 18

Corporate Contributions—Making a Difference in Our Communities
ffice Depot is deeply committed to making a
meaningful difference in the communities where
our employees live and work. We try to maximize
the impact of our efforts by targeting our contributions to one
primary cause: the education, health and welfare of children.
•We further this cause by initiating and supporting charitable
organizations that focus on children’s needs, as well as by
matching each of our retail stores, distribution centers and
warehouses to a non-profit organization that helps needy chil-
dren. We also donate back-to-school products to worthy children’s
charities through Gifts in Kind International. We fund programs
that assist abused and neglected children, such as CHARLEE’s
Children’s Depot. We provide free merchandise and supply
financial aid to students and teachers in under-funded school
districts nationwide through the Kids in Need Resource
Center. We contribute products to Junior Achievement and
foster this organization’s child mentoring programs. We help
feed hungry children and their families by supporting America’s
Second Harvest. We contribute to qualified schools in the U.S.
and Canada under our own “Free Supplies for Your School”
program. And we encourage our employees to volunteer
at local non-profit agencies. In addition, all of our North
American Retail stores participate in Code Adam, a child
safety-awareness program sponsored by the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children. These are just a few of the
ways in which Office Depot is taking care of kids and making
a difference in the communities where we live and work.
“Our children represent
the best hope for our
future, and it’s up to
us all to be sure that
they have everything
they need to realize
their dreams.”
Bruce Nelson
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
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Extending a Helping Hand
In 2001, Office Depot extended our philan-
thropic focus beyond our primary cause of
improving the health, education and wel-
fare of children, becoming one of the nation’s
first public companies to funnel relief funds
to victims of September 11th. Through
corporate and employee donations to the
United Way’s September 11th Disaster
Relief Fund, the National Red Cross, and
the Police, Fireman and Emergency Services
Fund, as well as product donations to
schools affected by the tragedy, we contri-
buted more than $1 million, and thousands
of volunteer hours to this worthy cause.
O