From his farm just north of Dayton, Ohio, Scott Peters, senior executive representative 1, Hospital and Transplant, watched the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and Irma unfold and knew he wanted to help.

Scott, joined by teammates from the Indianapolis Hospital/Transplant Region from Ohio and Indiana—Jeff Kennedy, Aaron Vermilion and Marnie Romer—used their Astellas paid-volunteer time off and their own vacation time to volunteer with the Houston chapter of the American Red Cross. Working together under the Living SMART™ platform, Astellas USA Foundation provided a grant to the American Red Cross to support those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

“After arriving in Houston, we registered with the local Red Cross chapter, who took us to the areas most affected by Hurricane Harvey,” said Peters.  “We couldn’t believe the devastation that we saw—appliances in yards, drywall covered in mold and homes completely destroyed.”

Working long days in 95-degree heat, the team demolished the homes of five families—where the walls were covered with mold and flooded with contaminated water. They also provided bottled water and food to those affected. In the evenings, the team brought meals to the Fisher House, MD Anderson Pediatric Cancer Care Center and a local women’s shelter.

“Each morning, we checked in with the Red Cross to see where our help was most needed,” said Peters. “At the end of the day, it was about people helping people, and we were glad to be there to help.” 

Astellas and Astellas USA Foundation support the Red Cross through their Living SMART™ approach to social responsibility by helping communities prepare today for what can happen tomorrow. Astellas offers employees up to five paid days off per year to volunteer.

Living SMART™ is the Astellas approach to preparing communities today for what can happen tomorrow. The Living SMART framework brings together the strength of the charitable Astellas USA Foundation and our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) work to find the areas where we can make the most impact to improve lives. Astellas USA Foundation and Astellas CSR collaborate to create a positive impact on society through three overarching focus areas: health and well-being; Science WoRx (STEM education); and disaster response. To read more about Living SMART, see the Astellas Americas Corporate Social Responsibility Report Card.