Poverty is Not a Destination

By Deirdre, President, NA Pharmaceuticals

We're in the middle of our United Way campaign at GSK.  

Our theme this year is "Poverty is not a destination." Just because someone's path appears to lead toward poverty, that isn't paved in stone. Whether someone's dropped out of school, has a hard time making ends meet, or is sick and without adequate access to healthcare, they can change course with the right support.

Our employees' pledges will allow the United Way to fund nonprofit agencies in communities across the country that provide the necessary support--whether the need is related to healthcare, education, or financial stability.

In the US:

• 1 in 12 babies are born at a low birth rate, an 8.2% increase over the last 10 years.
• 15% of 18-24 yr-olds aren't working or in school.
• 90+ million Americans are struggling to make ends meet with salaries < $40K per year.

The good news is that together, with the United Way, we are working to change these statistics.

Since GSK matches employee pledges--dollar for dollar--the funding for local communities throughout the US doubles, enabling individuals and families to have a better chance at achieving their potential through improved education, income stability, and healthier lives. In just the first three days of the campaign, GSK employees and retirees raised $958,000--and we still have a few more weeks! With the GSK match, that's nearly $2M!

Our campaign runs through Wednesday, November 21. We'll be sure to let you know how we're progressing--but I am already so proud of our participation.

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For further information go to us.gsk.com, follow us on twitter.com/GSKUS or visit our blog (www.morethanmedicine.us.gsk.com/blog/).