I have a friend who loves Halloween and carefully plans his costume months in advance. Some of his outfits have been very elaborate, but by far, one of his most well-received costumes was one of the simplest–UPS driver.

People love UPS drivers. When a UPS driver arrives, usually that means you’re getting something important or maybe a nice surprise–like an unexpected birthday gift from a far-off friend.

There’s another reason to love UPS drivers, their co-workers and the company itself–they are incredibly generous with their time and money. Since 1982, UPS and its employees have donated $1 billion to United Ways across the country.

“To my knowledge, UPS is the first company ever to have contributed $1 billion through one organization, a tremendous accomplishment both for our employees and the communities that benefit from United Way services,” The UPS Foundation President, Ken Sternad, said. “Wherever there is a stop light or stop sign in America, there is likely a UPS driver passing by. They are part of the community, they see the needs, and they have been a key part of the $1 billion story.”

In 2009, UPS’s total philanthropy reached nearly $100 million, including more than $55 million from their 2009 workplace campaign. UPS has been the top corporate giver to United Way for nine of the last 10 years. UPS employees and their families also contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer service last year through the company’s Global Volunteer Month and Neighbor-to-Neighbor program. UPS has twice won the United Way Spirit of America Award, United Way’s highest national honor for corporate citizenship and measurable community impact.

Locally UPS employees have volunteered with our Free Tax Prep Campaign, helping working families build savings. We’ve also had UPS employees join our Volunteer Reader Program.

UPS is also sponsoring our Day of Caring on September 24, which is the largest single day of volunteering in Washington state.

In 1907, 19-year-old Jim Casey borrowed $100 from a friend to start a small company in Seattle that would later become UPS. From the very beginning, UPS has been about people helping people to do great things in the community. We are proud to join United Ways across the country in thanking UPS and its employees for donating their money and volunteering their time. Congratulations on reaching the $1 billion milestone!