Speeches

UPS Foundation Grant to the Handicaps Welfare Association
Remarks of Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold
September 5, 2006

Thank you.  Madam Minister [Mrs. Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State for MYCS], thank you for joining us.  Ladies and gentlemen, I’m delighted to be here with all of you this morning for this presentation.

Let me start by thanking the Handicaps Welfare Association for its hospitality today.   I’d also like to take a moment to consider the remarkable accomplishments of this association that is run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities.  The dedication of the HWA community guarantees its success in bringing its services to those who will benefit from them the most.

This is a great day.  We’re here to celebrate a wonderful investment by the UPS Foundation in the Singapore community.

As Ambassador, I am responsible for the conduct of American foreign policy in Singapore, but in many ways it is the corporate community that is the public face of the United States.  Let me explain what I mean.  American firms bring investment, jobs, products, and services to Singapore.  They post their executives here to promote trade and investment and to introduce their companies to the region.

As a result, many Americans have made their homes in Singapore and have found a warm welcome here.  While enjoying all the marvelous things Singapore offers, many Americans have wanted to contribute to Singapore just as they would contribute to their communities if they were home in the United States.  This civic mindedness is the finest face that Americans can present.  The involvement of U.S. companies and American citizens here has a great and I think tremendously positive influence on Singaporean perceptions of the United States.

UPS is one of America's leading corporations and one of the world's leading corporate citizens.  With this generous grant UPS demonstrates its commitment to Singapore and its superb corporate citizenship.  This grant will help HWA members gain valuable employment skills and knowledge through the Internship Placement Program.  Organizations and businesses in Singapore will also benefit from this program, by taking advantage of the skills of HWA members.

I’m proud to be here at the launch of this new partnership and honored to participate in the presentation of this check today.  Thank you.