One by One

In Ada, we had to close down our headquarters due to flooding. In Boston, we’ve been watching the news of the bombings and making sure all Amway people are safe.

On the other side of the world, a 7.0 earthquake hit Ya’an in Sichuan Province of China. It killed 186 people, injured more than 11,000 and about 383,000 people are directly affected by the disaster.

Our Amway shop in a nearby city was closed for the day, but fortunately none of our Amway distributors or employees were on the casualty list in Ya’an.

Amway China is responding swiftly to the disaster, donating 5 million RMB ($800,000 USD) to disaster relief efforts through the Amway Charity Foundation. The Foundation has opened an account to receive donations, at www.amwayfoundation.org.

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected over the past week in big and small ways.

Here in the US, we’ve been watching the hurricane situation unfold across the east coast this week. More than 111,000 Amway Independent Business Owners (IBOs) are located in the affected area, a significant portion of our US population, as well as a several employees.

According to Sandy Spielmaker, Vice President of Sales for Amway North America, “Our first priority has been to reach out to determine if everyone is OK, and reports so far indicate that all are safe.”

That’s good news, although we do know that some IBOs have had severe damage to their homes, and may have trouble getting orders for their business. Amway is holding some orders until East Coast terminals are operating or alternatives are identified.

As we do in the event of major disasters around the world, Amway is collecting donations for the American Red Cross on Amway.com. We will match these donations up to $100,000, and will continue to monitor the situation to determine if more help is needed.

Thanks to all of you who have offered your words of support, your prayers and your donations.

During our research for the publication of our 2011 Global Citizenship Report, we noted a lot of activity around disaster response. Many natural catastrophes devastated the communities of our friends and colleagues last year.

What hasn’t received nearly as much attention is an emphasis around prevention.

In India, the Bihar State (adjacent to Nepal) is recognized as a multi-disaster-prone territory with a history of moderate to severe earthquakes.

Amway India is partnering with the Bihar Disaster Management Authority to help residents take measures to mitigate the risk of a future earthquake, and using the Bihar Centenary Day celebration to create awareness.

They installed posters and created pamphlets, teaching local leaders about earthquake resistant construction technology and teaching the general public basic tips for what to do in the event of an earthquake.

While these efforts may not make global headlines like an actual disaster, they may in the end be more impactful and save even more lives.

Thanks to Raj Narain for sharing this story.

After hearing news of so many disasters in 2011, few people heard of the heavy rains and flooding in the Philippines in December.

Hundreds of people died in the aftermath of Typhoon Sedong in Cagayan de Oro. It was the worst natural disaster in the Philippines in a decade.

Amway Philippines rallied to help. They packaged relief goods, with help from Amway distributors and employees. And they set up donation sites to help the families affected by the flooding.

Last month, Amway leaders turned over a check for P500,000 ($11,700 USD) to the Philippine Red Cross for the rehabilitation of victims of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro.

We extend our appreciation to colleagues and friends in the Philippines for their generosity.