Hershey scored in the top 25% of companies in all five ranking categories.
The Hershey Co. was recognized today as one of America’s most community-minded companies in The Civic 50, an annual recognition for companies that are committed to making a difference in the communities where they do business.
Hershey was recognized as No. 3 in the Consumer Discretionary Sector, No. 2 overall for social impact, No. 4 overall for institutionalization and No. 6 overall in the business impact category. Hershey scored in the top 25% of companies in all five ranking categories.
“Being honored as one of the most community-minded companies in the U.S. is incredibly meaningful to Hershey. Our company was built on our founder’s belief that ‘business is a matter of human service’ and the remarkable employees at Hershey work to bring goodness to the world each and every day,” said Mike Wege, chief marketing and growth officer, The Hershey Co. “Making a difference is a Hershey core value and we are motivated when our business expertise and financial resources are able to make measurable, positive change. From developing programs that help cocoa farmers in West Africa to food-insecure families in our backyard and around the world, our employees bring a passionate commitment to all of our programs.”
This year, more than 1,700 Hershey employees across five countries, participated in “Good to Give Back Week,” Hershey’s global week of volunteerism. During Good to Give Back Week, employees had the opportunity to make a meaningful difference through social projects that have a track record of making positive, measurable impact in the community. In its second year, the number of Hershey employees who participated in the program increased fivefold.
The week culminated in a record-setting event with Stop Hunger Now, a global non-profit focused on ending hunger through providing food and life-saving aid to people around the world. More than 600 Hershey employees worked together for three hours in dozens of assembly lines to create and pack 210,000 nutrient-filled meals that were delivered to children in need. Thirty thousand meals were sent to feed hungry children in El Salvador, and 180,000 meals were shipped to Liberia as part of the massive response to the Ebola crisis.
Hershey’s heritage of making a difference began with the company’s founding more than 120 years ago and is rooted in a tradition of ethical business practices, remarkable employees and giving back to its communities. Hershey integrates CSR into its business strategies through its focus on Shared Goodness, helping children and their communities around the world achieve a better life and bright future.
The Civic 50 recognition comes on the heels of Hershey’s inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Index, CEO J.P. Bilbrey’s recognition as CR Magazine’s Responsible CEO of the Year and Hershey’s Cocoalink program winning the P3 Impact Award for the most effective socially responsible public/private partnership program.
“Corporate civic engagement is on the rise and it’s being led by the forward-thinking businesses included on The Civic 50 list,” said Neil Bush, chairman of Points of Light. “The correlation their efforts showcase between community engagement and employee retention, productivity and overall bottom-line benefits continues to prove that businesses that do good do well. We congratulate this year’s Civic 50 and we hope that they continue to inspire greater investments in improving communities through corporate civic engagement.”