Nelson Mandela once said, “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.” In commemoration of the great Nelson Mandela, the global community celebrates International Mandela Day on his birthday each year. It is a day to honor the many ways Nelson Mandela gave back to his community and the world. On July 18th, International Mandela Day asks that everyone give 67 minutes of their time in service to others, signifying the 67-plus years that the former South African President spent dedicated to promoting a culture of peace and freedom, and helping our world.
With offices all around the world, Symantec strives to make a positive impact in the local communities where we operate. We reach communities in multiple ways such as financially supporting our non-profit partners, organizing employee volunteer events, and supporting our employees in their own personal volunteer work. Our Matching Gifts and Dollar for Doers programs allow employees to make double the impact by matching employees’ contributions to non-profit organizations.
The “Take 5” Volunteer Challenge
This quarter we are asking each employee to “Take 5” hours of their time and give back by volunteering. This can be as easy as virtual volunteering in thirty minute increments from their desk or homes with Code.org’sSkype in the Classroom program. Since the volunteer challenge launched in mid June we’ve already had 133 Symantec employees sign up for Skype in the Classroom – that alone is 665 hours of giving back!
As many of our employees have experienced, volunteering is very rewarding. We recently highlighted some touching personal mentoring stories that show just how much we can each make an impact. Brian Varner, Senior Manager of Product Management at Symantec, spent two years mentoring twin high school girls in cybersecurity, and both have been accepted to MIT this year for computer engineering degrees! We also heard from Eileen Brewer, Senior Manager of the Security Appliances Team at Symantec, abouther story as a mentor for woman in Africa and the Middle East.
These are two stories of the thousands of active volunteers across our company and global operations. In FY15 alone, Symantec employees across the globe collectively logged over 29,983 volunteer hours and we are excited to see that number grow even more!
The recent expansion of two international programs will widen our global reach. In a new partnership with NASSCOM, the industry association for the IT sector in India, Symantec plans to expand the SC3 program to India and will focus on developing five job roles in cybersecurity, as well as provide scholarships for 1000 women taking NASSCOM cyber security certifications. On the either side of the globe, in partnership with the World Association of Girls Scouts and Girl Guides (WAGGS), the Surf Smart program will expand to reach an additional 60,000 girls and young women in Latin America, the Caribbean, and India. These programs will create more volunteer opportunities for Symantec employees in these regions.
Mandela Day – Giving Back in Remembrance
In Celebration of Mandela Day, thirty employees from the Cape Town, South Africa office spent July 17th volunteering at two events at Joe Slovo Park organized by Clean C, their nonprofit partner.
Joe Slovo Park is an informal settlement and Symantec South Africa has been involved in various initiatives over the past 12 months with Clean C to give back to this underprivileged community. The group of volunteers split into two groups to make a meal of fresh baked bread and soup at the Joe Slovo Recreational Center and Masibamnane Creche.
The day did not pass without a few hurdles – the oven at the Recreation Centre was not working and so the team was unable to bake the fresh bread. Darren Lotter and Victor Thornton stepped up and headed to a shop to buy loaves of bread, butter, cups for the soup and even a few bags of cookies for the children.
At the Joe Slovo Recreational Centre, the volunteers fed 116 children a meal and played games with the children.
At Masibambane, the volunteers made multiple batches of fresh bread dough and prepared enough to supply the crèche with fresh bread for the week. They also supplied the center with bread making ingredients such a flour, sugar, salt, yeast and oil.
Greg Player, founder of Clean C, was appreciative of the Symantec employees’ time:
“Thanks so much for your support at our Mandela Day Projects as well as your sponsorship over the past few months! Your sponsorship and participation really made this project a much bigger success than what I ever imagined or dreamed of! Really most appreciated! “
At Symantec, employees are key players in the success and expansion of our corporate responsibility (CR) program. A big thank you to everyone who gave of their time to help others.
We wish everyone a Happy International Mandela Day and hope today we can all be inspired to think about how we can give at least 67 minutes of our time to help others. Be it volunteering at work, volunteering with friends, volunteering from the comfort of your home, or participating in an event that raises funds and awareness for a cause, there are numerous opportunities to make a direct impact on someone’s life.
If you are interested in learning more about opportunities at Symantec, please contact community_relations@symantec.com.