Our Dublin, Ireland office was awarded in 2022 for having the highest average employee volunteering rate for the year. Volunteers gave back to their communities in many ways, from landscaping and planting flowers at the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Care Centre in Dublin to providing a home for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
“Caring deeply is part of what we do at Biogen,” says Val O’Leary, a Principal Medical Coder. “This extends beyond our work or immediate family to give back and to never forget our shared humanity.”
Val and her family have been hosting a Ukrainian family – a grandmother, mother and baby – displaced by the war in Ukraine since March 2022. “I know that we have helped not just the family we took in, but their wider family in Ukraine who know we kept them safe from harm,” she says.
Beyond being personally rewarding, this experience is an up-close view of the war’s impact on the people of Ukraine and gives Val a greater appreciation for the safety and security that she feels we sometimes take for granted.
“I have a constant awareness of what is happening in Ukraine. Our guests have taught us about the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people, that kindness is universal and will always defeat hatred... and, of course, what a joy it is to have a baby in the house again!” she says.
The Ireland office logged an impressive 14.8 volunteer hours per employee. As an acknowledgment of their incredible efforts, they received a $5,000 Biogen Foundation grant for a nonprofit of their choice, which they chose to split the grant between the MS Care Centre and the Irish Red Cross.
Learn more about how our employees give back through the Biogen Foundation.