Collegium Pharmaceutical, a leader in responsible pain management, works every day to make a positive difference in the lives of people who suffer from pain. The company develops and commercializes innovative and differentiated products for pain management. The company is also working to make an impact in the communities they serve, with a focus on the education, technology and healthcare gaps felt by individuals and families living in poverty across Greater Boston.

Since 2017, Collegium has worked with Life Science Cares to make a difference for those in need. To further STEM education for under-resourced youth, Collegium employees participated in Camp Harbor View’s annual STEM fair, running illusion experiments in 2018 and a make your own lava station in 2019. Collegium has organized several children’s clothing and school supplies drives for Cradles to Crayons, The LEAH Project and Breakthrough Greater Boston. In addition, the company has employed summer interns through Project Onramp, which matches undergraduate students working with Bottom Line, a non-profit committed to building strong connections for first-generation-to-college students, with paid summer entry-level positions, which often lead to full-time employment.

When Life Science Cares launched its multi-faceted COVID-19 relief effort in March, Collegium quickly sprang into action. The company made an initial $200,000 donation to the cause and immediately initiated an employee match program in which individuals could donate to the campaign with 100 percent of contributions to be matched by Collegium. More than 60 employees participated, bringing Collegium’s overall contribution to nearly $240,000.

“Life Science Cares has been a great resource and thought partner as we look to make a more focused impact in the suburbs of Boston, where we are headquartered,” says Alex Dasalla, Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Collegium. “Giving back allows us to be more connected to our community, it enriches the lives of our employees and helps us understand why the work we are doing matters. There are so many people in need. When we come together, we truly can make a difference.”

And, the pandemic hasn’t slowed Collegium down. Throughout 2020, the company has held several donation and back-to-school drives, contributing 150 tablets to local hospitals and 100 laptops to Tech Goes Home, On Giving Tuesday, Collegium will host its inaugural Annual Day of Service during which employees will assemble 200 STEM kits to be distributed to children in hospitals and shelters through the Happy Hope Foundation.

“This year, there has never been a greater need to empower people to get their jobs done and to support education for all,” says Dasalla, who is among 30 percent of her colleagues on average who participate in Life Science Cares volunteer initiatives. “Everyone can make a difference. Companies should make a concerted effort to give back. You never know how much one small act could change someone’s life.”

Collegium Pharmaceutical is one of 50 member companies working with Life Science Cares to support nonprofits that improve the lives of people living in poverty in Greater Boston. Members access dozens of in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities throughout the year and can offer their expertise as pro bono consultants to nonprofits that often face challenges in areas of sustainability, growth and development.

Interested in learning more about Life Science Cares? Click here for ways in which your company can get involved.

Collegium Employees volunteering at Camp Harbor View’s STEM Fair in 2018.