17th October was a special day for children of Hamara Club. The children had been waiting eagerly for the D-Day a lot of fun and excitement was in store for them.

UPS across the globe had earmarked 17th to 24th October 2004, as Global Volunteer Week. During the designated week UPS employees all over the world volunteer to serve their community where they live and work in.

In India United Way Mumbai helped UPS enrich the Global Volunteer Week by providing the employees to serve a section of society, which is mostly neglected and unforgotten by most of us in our day-to-day life.

United Way Mumbai helped UPS connect with Hamara Club an organization that works with street children in Mumbai.

Preparation for the week to make it special for both the children and employees started late September. It all began with an email from United Way to Mr. Thomas Mathew, M.D UPS. Mr. Mathew responded with equal eagerness to work with United Way in India.

United Way suggested UPS to volunteer for Hamara Club. Hamara Club through 6 contact centers work with 500 children a year.

GilderLane Municipal School which houses Hamara Club was buzzing with activities on a Sunday, which is otherwise on a Sunday quite a deserted, lonely place. UPS employees in white color tshirts with a message on their tshirt “It all begins with Me' were all lined up with their families early morning outside the school even before the doors of the school were open.

UPS employees irrespective of their stature were busy in the preparations from sweeping the floor, to setting the music system, arranging for water, food, music, projector etc. All the employees worked religiously to make the children feel special.

Games, Gifts, prizes, burgers, cutlets, wafers, songs, dance marked the day for children, which culminated with the movie of their choice ‘Koi Mil Gaya'

Kudos to UPS team for bringing an unceasing smile on the faces of the children.

For the fourth year in a row, UPS employees helped the company to become the nation's top contributor to United Way's annual campaign. In the most recent campaign (2003), more than 229,000 UPS employees participated, contributing $45 million. The company's contribution of approximately $9.3 million, combined with the employee contribution, brings UPS's total donation amount to more than $54.2 million . With its 2002 campaign, UPS became the first company ever to donate more than $50 million in a single campaign to United Way.

“UPS & United Way share a commitment to build stronger communities and support the efforts of local nonprofits. For more than 2 decades, UPS employees have donated their money and volunteer time to help improve the lives of others. We are a proud United Way partner and support its ongoing efforts”

Evern Cooper, President of the UPS Foundation and Vice Presidents of UPS Corporate Relations.