Similar to Symantec's Volunteer of the Quarter initiative, which highlights and rewards employees who dedicate their time and talents to those in need, our University Relations Team hosts an Intern Volunteer Week Competition, July 19th through July 27th. Symantec strongly encourages employees to volunteer in their local communities, providing volunteer resources and opportunities. We believe that involved, engaged employees are happier and more satisfied, and that communities in which Symantec is located will be healthier and more vibrant because of our presence.
During Intern Volunteer Week, interns took on the challenge and volunteered over 100 hours at various non-profit organizations such as the Humane Society Silicon Valley, Food for Lane County, Stanford Blood Center, and various others mentioned below.
In Mountain View – Keeping School Supplies Out of Landfill and into Students’ Backpacks
![raft[1] copy.jpg](http://www.symantec.com/connect/sites/default/files/users/user-1510641/raft%5B1%5D%20copy.jpg)
| Symantec Interns volunteer with RAFT to take schools supplies going to landfill and turn them into school kits for kids in need. |
On June 21st a group of Symantec interns participated in an event in coordination with RAFT. Every year with the assistance of volunteers, RAFT assembles and distributes over 50,000 hands-on Math, Science, and Art Activity Kits made from repurposed materials, thereby keeping them out of landfills. Volunteers help keep the cost of these Activity Kits down by sorting the different raw materials that are donated and assembling them into retail-ready kits that RAFT members can purchase. At this particular event interns assisted in creating spectroscopes that will enable children to study how light is created from the myriad of colors that together create the light spectrum.
| The RAFT Symantec Intern Volunteer Week group of interns. |
In Culver City – From Selfies to Texting, Teaching Tech Basics to Seniors
Ever wanted to attend “selfie” school? On July 23rd, the Symantec interns took a trip to the Culver City Senior Center to help seniors with their technological issues. The interns helped people learn how to use their tablets, phones, and laptops for everything from making video calls, texting, and using voice search, to taking selfies, creating movies, and more! The event lasted two hours, and everyone there was able to receive the help and solutions that they needed.
| Symantec Interns help seniors become tech savvy during Symantec’s 2014 Intern Volunteer Week. |
Intern Volunteer Week Competition
Intern Volunteer Week also encouraged interns to seek volunteer opportunities beyond the workplace. As part of Intern Volunteer Week, the intern who dedicates the most volunteers hours during this week, won an exclusive 1-on-1 coaching session with Cecily Joseph, VP of Corporate Responsibility & Chief Diversity Officer. This year’s winner is Braden Ericson located in Roseville, MN. Read below to learn more about his experience.
Thank you Braden and all of the Symantec interns who participated in this event!
| Braden Ericson, winner of this year’s Intern Volunteer Week competition volunteered with LegalCORPS providing free business law advice to owners of small businesses and non-profits. |
Braden Ericson Backup & Recovery Software Engineer, Intern
As part of Intern Volunteer Week, I volunteered for LegalCORPS, a Minnesota nonprofit organization that provides free assistance in non-litigation business law matters to low income owners of small businesses, small nonprofits and low income innovators in Minnesota. LegalCORPS connects volunteer attorneys with these small businesses and nonprofits in an effort to expand access to the legal system to those who might otherwise not have this access.
I spent my time volunteering for this organization because I support their mission and I think what they are doing to help small businesses is really important. I know that a lot of small businesses cannot afford to hire an attorney so they try to get by without legal assistance. By providing individuals and organizations with access to free legal services, LegalCORPS is helping start-ups and small businesses make sound legal decisions so that they can hopefully stay in business and focus their time and resources on pursuing their business objectives.
I had a lot of fun volunteering at LegalCORPS. I worked with the full time executive director to troubleshoot issues that they are having with their Microsoft Access databases. I met a lot of great people and also learned more about Microsoft Access itself. I also gained further experience in explaining technical details to less tech-savvy individuals. The greatest part about volunteering was that I was able to use my skills to help LegalCORPS continue to help small businesses in Minnesota. I love what they do for our community, and I will continue to assist them when they need help.
I am excited to have the chance to talk with Cecily during my one-on-one coaching session. I find her background fascinating, especially since she has experience working in the legal community and private foundations before she joined Symantec. I am interested in hearing her perspective on diversity and corporate responsibility and what she has done to help encourage Symantec to “give back” to the community.
To read more about Intern Volunteer Week, please visit last year’s blog article on our first annual Intern Volunteer Week.
Monica Ipong Is Symantec's University Relations Sr. Recruiter