2025.02.20 　 Other Activities

Japan: Received Special Prize at the Corporate Volunteer Award by the Tokyo Voluntary Action Center

#volunteer

Employees helping to restore damaged houses

The Tokyo Voluntary Action Center announced the companies selected for its 10th Corporate Volunteer Award on December 20, 2024. The Panasonic Group's disaster volunteer activities by its employees were selected for the special prize.

These awards recognize volunteer activities by corporate employees in collaboration with non-profit organizations (NPOs). The goal is to promote employee participation in corporate volunteer work and strengthen cooperation between companies and NPOs by highlighting exemplary initiatives.

The Panasonic Group started disaster volunteer training courses for employees in 2019 in readiness for the major earthquakes, heavy rains, and other natural disasters frequently in recent years. Each operating site and region has worked on developing human resources able to act independently as support volunteers for disaster victims and in disaster-stricken areas.

They have also increased awareness for employee preparedness in case of natural disasters such as an earthquake in the capital region or the Nankai Trough. So far around 2,000 employees have taken courses (6,000 including those who have watched the course videos).

Additionally, in recent years, following the heavy rain disaster in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture in 2023 and the Noto Earthquake and heavy rain disaster in 2024, Panasonic recruited volunteers, primarily from employees who had completed the disaster volunteer training program, so that around 15 employees participated in on-site recovery support efforts in each affected area.　

The following points were emphasized in the selection of this award.

Employees used skills honed in their work to take the lead in activities in support of the running of disaster volunteer centers in local communities, including creating manuals for such.
Volunteers subsequently shared their experiences with colleagues in their workplaces to create a virtuous cycle encouraging further support.
Further momentum can be expected for developing disaster volunteers since Panasonic Group has made efforts taking lead over other companies and they asked to learn more about these pioneering efforts.

The awards ceremony will be held on February 26.