Meals on Wheels, Indianapolis

We Deliver Smiles

Roche Diagnostics

The work of a laboratory scientist requires care, precision and meticulous attention to detail. As it turns out, these qualities also make for exceptional volunteers to the elderly and disabled homebound community.

For more than a decade, people from Roche-which in 1998 merged with Boehringer Mannheim to become Roche Diagnostics-have made the cause of Meals on Wheels their own. What's more, they've taken their "quality-driven" values on the road.

Penny Armstrong, who works in the lab as a scientist and also coordinates the company's Meals on Wheels volunteer activities said, "Everyone feels we are impacting lives. We are making a difference, no matter how small."

Armstrong said, "The people at Roche work in an environment where even routine responsibilities can have a direct impact on patient health. Everyone at Roche is aware of this and understands that attention to detail is critical. It highlights the fact that small things often do make a huge difference."

Roche's Thursday route out of Community North Hospital in Indianapolis is divided among 10 regular volunteers and two substitutes from across the company who Armstrong says, "Phone in whenever there's a concern-someone not answering the door, newspapers piling up, things looking out of sorts. We really value being able to provide that daily safety check for the clients."

This maker of the popular ACCU-CHEK blood sugar testing system for diabetes last year launched the Amplichip, which can assist physicians in prescribing correct dosages of certain drugs by first identifying a patient's inherited traits, or "genotype." Roche's many innovations address the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The company prides itself on its philanthropic efforts, and last year netted over $470,000 in employee contributions to the United Way campaign, which it has sponsored for more than 20 years.

"The people who work at Roche have a passion for making a difference in people's lives and that passion extends from the work they do here every day to their volunteer efforts," said Valerie Trimble, Community Relations Specialist at Roche Diagnostics. "As one of central Indiana's leading corporate contributors to United Way, we are proud to also provide volunteer support to a partner agency like Meals on Wheels."

Roche Diagnostics is helping make lives better-taking its quality-driven values for things large and microscopic-from its board room and laboratories to the front lines of Indianapolis homebound care.

Meals on Wheels is grateful for the volunteer service of these Roche Diagnostics employees:

For further details, please contact us at 317.633.6325, or by e-mail at info@mealsonwheelsindy.org .

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