Community and Society: Asia Pacific
Charitable Giving and Volunteering
Australian Workplace Giving Program
In Australia, we have a Workplace Giving Program that automatically deducts funds from the salaries of participants each month and divides the funds equally between the RSPCA and the Cancer Council of Australia. This amounts to approximately AUD 10,000 per year.
Celebrating the Spirit of Earth Hour
In 2009, members of our Gurgaon team spent Earth Hour in a corporate social responsibility initiative with the children of Aarushi, a girls' shelter home run by the Salaam Baalak Trust. The children engaged in a ceramic painting workshop that was organized by Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj. The workshop was organized on the theme of sustainability and unleashed creativity in the children.
Supporting Sustainable Development in Cambodia
The Shinta Mani Institute of Hospitality was opened in June 2005 as a pro-poor enterprise to help eliminate poverty in the region surrounding Siem Reap, Cambodia. It serves as a vocational training facility that provides free hospitality industry training for young Cambodians who come from areas of high risk and little opportunity to work themselves and their families out of poverty.
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels has supported the Institute for a number of years. Through the company’s contributions, the Institute has been able to expand its current western culinary course to include a pastry section. The funds have been used to procure a new stove, baking oven and all the needed utensils in support of the new pastry module. Our hotels team is currently working with the Institute to assist with placing students in training programs with leading hotels.
Property Industry Foundation
We support the Property Industry Foundation in Australia, with staff donating time and money to help homeless children in Sydney. Approximately AUD 13,000 and 100 labor hours were donated at fund raising events and worker bees to build housing throughout the year.
Supporting an Herb Garden in Udayan Ghar in India
Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj employees undertook the planting and funding of an herb and vegetable garden at Udayan Care Home, situated at the outskirts of Delhi. The work was carried out in the Annual Leadership Roadshow during the month of October 2007. In addition to planting, a gardener was also employed by Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj to maintain the garden.
Computers and Clothes Donation Drive
In a pan-India initiative, employees across our 14 offices in the country collected clothes for children supported by non-governmental organizations in their respective cities. Employees contributed such zeal and enthusiasm that the final date for donations had to be extended by several days. Our offices also donated laptop and desktop computers to the NGOs.
Lending a Hand to a Needy School in Thailand
In early 2008, we helped a public primary school in Thailand build a new library and renovate toilets. Funds for this project were raised through our company’s financial support and donations from our staff, clients, business partners and donation boxes placed in a number of office buildings managed by Jones Lang LaSalle.
Construction of the library and renovation of the toilets were completed in August 2008. During the official handover ceremony in September, we also contributed computers and new and used books donated by staff members to the school. Our staff, the students and their parents who attended the handover ceremony joined in planting young trees around the school’s campus.