One thousand emergency kits are ready for families in need thanks to the service of more than 1,000 employee volunteers from biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, who packed the kits as part of their workplace giving campaign kick-off held October 9 at their North Chicago, IL. headquarters.

The packs will be pre-positioned at Direct Relief’s headquarters so they are on hand to immediately respond to the next emergency with critically needed supplies. This is the second year that AbbVie has hosted the preparedness event.

The kits contain basic personal care supplies such as shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, razors, and other products to help families who are left without everyday necessities because of natural disasters or other emergency situations.

“The emergency kits are one way we support Direct Relief to help people in times of need. Last year, emergency kits created by AbbVie volunteers went to survivors of flooding in Colorado and to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan,” said Tracie Haas, Vice President, AbbVie Foundation and Corporate Responsibility.

Direct Relief is grateful for AbbVie’s generous support of its emergency preparedness efforts. Beyond this initiative, Direct Relief has worked with AbbVie and the AbbVie Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm, in many other areas to improve the health and lives of those in need, especially during times of disaster. The AbbVie Foundation has provided critical support to Direct Relief to help recovery efforts after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, and more recently to help combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

AbbVie also supports Direct Relief’s Hurricane Preparedness Program in which life-saving medicines and supplies are pre-positioned in advance of hurricane season in at-risk communities in the U.S. and Latin America and the Caribbean. This ensures the right products will be on-site, ready for immediate distribution if and when a hurricane or other disaster strikes.

In addition to emergency preparedness, Direct Relief and the AbbVie Foundation work together to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide by expanding access to HIV testing for pregnant women in developing countries. Helping soon-to-be moms know their status is a critical step in preventing the transmission of HIV to children. Over the last decade, more than 26 million tests have been provided through this program.