One thousand emergency kits are ready for families in need thanks to the service of thousands of employees from biopharmaceutical company AbbVie who packed the kits as part of their workplace giving campaign kick-off held Tuesday at their North Chicago, Ill. headquarters.

A number of the assembled packs will likely be shipped to Colorado in the coming days to help families who have been displaced by the recent flooding get back on their feet. The packs not going to Colorado 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.

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

“It’s hard to imagine being without items we take for granted every day. We’re happy to work with Direct Relief in supporting people in times of need,” 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 in many other areas to improve the health and lives of those in need.

AbbVie 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, the two 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. To date, more than 23 million tests have been provided through this program.