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Monsanto Celebrates St. Louis’ 250th Birthday With $100,000 Grant for Volunteer Program

Employees also pledge 50,000 hours toward stl250’s volunteer goal and challenge others to do same.

4/9/2014

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stl250 announced today receipt of a big gift for St. Louis’ 250th birthday. As part of the region’s yearlong celebration, Monsanto Company is giving the nonprofit a $100,000 grant to support its volunteer initiative, St. Louis Serves. 

The money will help St. Louis Serves reach its goal of engaging at least 250,000 people to volunteer a total of one million hours throughout the bi-state region in 2014. In addition to the agricultural company’s financial support, Monsanto is encouraging each of its St. Louis region employees to increase the numbers of hours they personally volunteer by more than 35 percent. In doing so they will be contributing 50,000 volunteer hours for St. Louis Serves.  Today, the company challenged other businesses in the bi-state area to ask their employees to do the same.  

“At Monsanto, we know the powerful difference volunteerism makes in a community,” said Deborah Patterson, Monsanto’s Vice President of Employee Engagement and Global Contributions, at the company’s annual National Volunteer Week breakfast held today. “Making lives better, whether it is through advancing agriculture or through philanthropy, is what we do. We are proud to call St. Louis home and thrilled at the opportunity to fill community needs and help our neighbors.  We encourage others to join us.”

The grant of money, pledge of muscle and challenge for other companies to join the St. Louis Serves volunteer program supports the area’s reputation as being one of the most charitable cities in the United States with some of the most philanthropic citizens and businesses. “Companies like Monsanto, who have a passion for giving back and a workforce dedicated to strengthening the lives of others, will be the reason St. Louis Serves succeeds and we reach our goal,” said Erin Budde, director of stl250. “The fact that Monsanto volunteers around the world logged an incredible 80,839 volunteer hours just last year is testament to their commitment to make a difference in the communities where they live and work.”

The United Way of Greater St. Louis and AmeriCorps St. Louis have partnered with stl250 to connect volunteers with service projects and to keep track of volunteer hours for the St. Louis Serves campaign.  This includes Monsanto’s pledge, other companies who accept the company’s challenge and anyone in the 15-county bi-state region who wants to join this yearlong commitment to better our communities. Volunteers may submit service projects that benefit the region or volunteer for a project already registered and in need of support. More information on volunteering for the St. Louis Serves program is available at www.stl250.org. To learn more about Monsanto and its philanthropy efforts, visit www.monsanto.com