An earlier Recruiting Daily Advisor article looked at research that suggests a culture of volunteerism has a positive impact on employee recruitment, engagement, and retention.
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Volunteerism is also about giving back to the community, as global banking giant Citi well knows.
The Advisor provides a look at Citi as a best practice example, and to highlight the many ways in which a company of any size and its employees can volunteer.
Worldwide Involvement
Citi recently celebrated its 12th annual Global Community Day, when more than 100,000 volunteers in 500 cities spanning 91 countries and territories engaged in service activities in their local communities.
Volunteers included Citi employees, alumni, clients, family, and friends who participated in more than 1,500 service projects ranging from urban revitalization to mentorship and job skills training, literacy and education, and environmental conservation and disaster relief.
This year, Citi volunteers led hundreds of community projects across the world.
Examples of Activities
In the United States and Canada, there were nearly 700 volunteer activities. Here are a few examples.
- At Citi’s global headquarters in New York City, Citi teamed up with Feeding Children Everywhere to assemble over 200,000 healthy meals to help combat hunger. They also worked to beautify and clean up green spaces along the Hudson River, assemble and distribute bicycles for low-income youth, and write thank-you letters to and pack hygiene kits for veterans.
- In Arizona, Citi partnered with the National Recreation and Parks Association to beautify parks in the state and at other Citi service centers across the United States.
- In Florida, volunteers sorted and organized food at the Northeast Florida food bank in Jacksonville, painted and cleaned public spaces in Liberty City as part of the Miami Children’s Initiative’s block-by-block approach, and removed litter and debris from the Tampa seashore for World Oceans Day.
- In New Jersey, volunteers created costumes for children in local hospitals, made a difference for young people and veterans by conducting mock interviews for professional IT jobs, and planted at the Wagner Farm Arboretum, a farm that helps increase environmental awareness.
- In Canada, volunteers hosted mock interviews to help youth increase their employability, cleaned the parkland behind Hershey Centre, built a home with Habitat for Humanity, and prepared and served meals for those in need.
Across Asia Pacific, Latin America and Mexico, and Europe, Middle East and Africa, there were more than 850 volunteer activities. Here are few examples.
- In Singapore, volunteers helped young people become career-ready through a series of activities including mentoring and a design-your-career simulation.
- In Japan, volunteers participated in events to improve the environment, brighten the lives of children with serious illnesses, and raise awareness to promote diversity and workplace equality.
- In Colombia, volunteers worked alongside corporate clients and the Mayor of Bogotá to revitalize the city’s downtown area.
- In Costa Rica, volunteers helped clean up beaches to protect endangered Lora turtles.
- In Czech Republic, volunteers revitalized community spaces, including at a senior citizen’s center, a women and children’s shelter, and a hospital. They also held a mentoring/job shadowing session with Junior Achievement.
- In Nigeria, volunteers led sporting activities, financial literacy and entrepreneurship workshops, and donated school supplies.
These are only a few of the activities Citi participated in this year.
As you can see, there are many ways to make a difference in the communities a business serves. What can your company do?