Australia, Croatia,  Vietnam, Zambia.

The names of the places where our company, employees and distributors make a difference in a child’s life range all the way from A to Z.

Here are just a few of the many generous efforts last year that positively affected more than 1.5 million children around the world:

Australia: Many of the 3 million people affected by flooding received relief.
Croatia: 100 children with chronic childhood diseases were treated with new medical equipment.
Vietnam: 140 children with cleft lips and palate deformities received life-changing surgeries.
Zambia: 175 children received essential micronutrients through NUTRILITE™ Little Bits.

To find out how Amway is making a difference in your community, visit the Amway 2011 Corporate Citizenship Report. A global summary starts on page 18.

We believe it’s important for people to have a safe, clean place to live.

Since the Amway One by One Campaign for Children partnered with Habitat for Humanity last year, distributors and employees across the Americas have worked hard to make that happen.

Here are three examples where our distributors and employees are building hope for others.

In Guatemala, Amway employees and distributors from the United States, Mexico, Barbados, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Colombia and El Salvador built a dozen homes. They also raised half a million dollars, matching a $250,000 gift of Tim Foley, longtime Amway distributor and Amway Founders Council member. These  funds will finance construction of more than 40 homes throughout Latin America over the next five years.

In São Paulo, Brazil, Amway distributors and employees raised nearly $5,000, and used it to renovate two homes. Their next  project? Already they are evaluating how to apply their time and talents to help people affected by the devastating floods in Rio de Janeiro.

Finally, after raising $16,000,  more than 25 Amway Colombia distributors, employees and their families constructed two homes in only two days.

Visit our Amway One by One blog to learn how we’re making a difference in 2012. Make your own difference, too, at Habitat for Humanity.

Amway has been cited among Russia’s most charitable companies for years, but this month was named one of the top 10 corporate social responsibility (CSR) businesses in a ranking published by Vedomosti.

This year Amway moved up 20 spots to 6th on the list.  The Vedomosti ranking is based on company size, corporate social responsibility budget and the effectiveness of the budget in meeting c ommunity needs.

Amway Russia’s One by One Campaign for Children programs range from a mobile play center to a friendly soccer competition  that gave kids with disabilities the opportunity to hit the pitch.

To be effective, corporate social responsibility programs (CSR) need to focus on the future, instead of reflecting on past accomplishments, Amway Korea Managing Director S.J. Park wrote recently in the Korea Times.

S.J. said as Amway Korea enters the 10th year of its CSR programs, it is looking 10 years ahead.

Whether it’s a Nutrilite Soccer Class that teaches kids how to play or a collaboration with the Korean Nutrition Society to create a “Nutrition Quotient” to improve children’s health, Amway is taking a long-term view and making long-term commitments to programs that will help children.

As S.J. wrote, “it is the consistency and sincerity that is key to successful CSR activities that change lives.”

Sometimes, getting a bit of recognition inspires us to do more.

Take for example the Amway Nutrilite “Little Bits”  program in Mexico.  The program was recently recognized with the 2011 Corporate Citizenship Best Practices Responsabilidad Social Empresarial award from the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (CEMEFI). 

“Little Bits“ seeks to make a measurable difference in the health of malnourished children ages one to five, which some might say is too lofty a goal.

Amway Mexico Marketing Manager Florentino Gutiérrez thinks the encouragement pushes us even further toward improving the health of children in Mexico and beyond.

“Receiving this important award reinforces our commitment  and encourages us to continue with this project and take it to other places to contribute to the healthy development of children in Mexico and around the world,” he said.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the value of the new Amway One by One Campaign for Children video is incalculable.

The video shows some of the faces of the 8 million children in 50 countries and territories  who have been helped by One by One since 2003.    

You’ll also see some of the Amway distributors and employees who have given 2.3 million hours to help kids live, learn, play and achieve.  And learn about programs ranging from playrooms in Russian hospitals to a sensory  tour that helps visually impaired students explore nature in Japan.

For more information on these and other programs, read our Corporate Citizenship Report to see how we’re helping children from  Australia to Venezuela, and many points in between.

July 15 was a very good day for Amway China, as it was honored with not one but two prestigious awards.

Amway China received the China Charity Award and China Charity Award for Children for its efforts to improve the lives of children, protect the environment and volunteer and manage volunteers for a number of events.

It’s the fourth time Amway China has received the China Charity Award, the highest charity award given by the Chinese government.

It was a good day in recognition of Amway China’s history of doing good works.

It takes a lot of concrete to build a house, but it takes a lot of heart to create a home.

Last month more than 80 Amway distributors and employees from four countries convened in the Zacapa region of Guatemala to build homes for families through Habitat for Humanity.  Inspired by Amway Founders Crown Ambassador Tim Foley, who has been part of Habitat builds in Latin America for years, Amway announced a partnership that will include Habitat projects in 10 Latin American countries.

Read and see more about the February project and how a lot of heart – as well as concrete and hard work – built homes for families in Zacapa at the Amway One by One Campaign for Children Blog.