The American-Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce has recognized Dole for its corporate social responsibility in the country.
The organization, also known as AmCham, named Dole’s Financial Education Program for Farm Employees as its grand winner during its social responsibility awards. Dole said in a news release this is the second consecutive year AmCham awarded the company its grand winner prize for one of its projects.
In recognizing Dole’s program, AmCham said it shows a strong commitment to Costa Rica’s sustainable development goals.
Dole’s Financial Aid Program for Farm Employees program, which launched in 2019, provides tools to help Dole employees in Costa Rica manage household finances, reduce indebtedness and alleviate economic hardship for families, according to the release.
The company said it created the program to help address the gaps discovered during a multidimensional poverty assessment it conducted of its employees, and that its business multidimensional poverty index identified gaps to focus on with social programs and efforts to address them.
During the 12-week program, participating employees receive guidance to develop new beliefs and financial habits. The program aims to help participants reduce debt, increase cash flow, grow assets and enhance their financial well-being, according to the release.
Dole employees also volunteer to carry out the program, contributing more than 15,000 hours so far to the program.
Dole said the financial program netted a 7.34% improvement in the financial health index for 39% of the 275 graduates.
“Dole’s leadership in CSR is a testament to our unwavering dedication to creating a positive impact on the communities we serve,” Sandra Lima, senior manager of corporate social responsibility at Dole, said in the release. “The Grand Winner award at the AmCham Social Responsibility in Action Awards stands as a powerful recognition of Dole’s innovative and impactful approach to employee well-being and social empowerment.”
