The last few weeks of December are typically a rush of holiday parties, gatherings, traditions and transition time. But it can also be a good time to take a few minutes, pause, and reflect on the year that is drawing to a close and the many opportunities it has presented along the way.
Corporate life, while not perfect, nevertheless brings many advantages, including financial reward, opportunity and choices. Increasingly, too, it is also providing employees across all industries and sectors with a chance to recognise this position of privilege and use its resources to give back to local communities.
Agent3 fully embraces this move, and not only makes it possible to volunteer on work’s time, but actively encourages us to do so with paid ‘Volunteer Days’ throughout the year.
So, given we’re in the last few weeks of December, let’s pause for a moment and reflect on just some of the opportunities we have had to support charities and organizations across the globe:
USA:
- COOP: is an organisation that helps minority and first-generation collegiates and college graduates earn certificates in specialized technology and digital marketing. It also helps with skills such as interviewing, resume building, handling difficult professional situations, and more. Agent3 works in partnership with Coop to provide information and training in the field of technology marketing and offer support, advice and coaching to the students. Since 2021, Agent3 has 1 x COOPer full time and 2 interns as well as hosting 5 volunteer events.
- The Bowery Mission has seven different locations in NYC, helping provide meals and other services like shelter, showers, and clothing to New Yorkers facing homelessness or poverty.
- Healing Meals Community Project helps prepare and deliver organic meals for individuals and families dealing with a health crisis.
- Foodbanks in Queens, NY
- Move for Movember challenge: Agent3 global created a group in Strava to challenge everyone to be physically active by moving 60 miles during the month of November, for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour, every hour across the world.
- Food Lifeline sources surplus food from farmers, manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants. Once all of that surplus food has been sorted and packed, it’s provided to 350 food banks, shelters, and meal programs across Washington.
- Beach Cleanup in South Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida to help clean up the beach including microplastics, trash, and invasive species washed ashore. Beach cleanups help support local crabs, sea turtles, and sea life to thrive.
APAC:
- Bikes for Tykes is a corporate challenge to build bikes for young children from a selection of charities in Australia. The bikes that the APAC team built this year were given to StreetHearts and provided to children in care to make their Christmas just a little brighter.
UK:
- Agent3 offers career advice to schools and this year we worked with Forest Gate Community School in East London to educate the younger generation (and their parents) about all things ABM at their careers evening. We’ve had a long standing partnership with this school but the pandemic put a stop to face-to-face workshops, so we’re excited to restart inspiring some future marketing stars.
- Southwark Food Bank provides three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them in crisis. They are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
- Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) Works to support, connect and empower everyone affected by cleft in the United Kingdom.
- Love Your Neighbour: A network of churches working in local communities alongside people of all faiths and no faith to support individuals and families in need
- Wrap Up London: Donating coats to help people keep warm this winter.
Volunteering can provide perspective and a healthy boost to life satisfaction. At this time of year, which can be dominated by consumerism, it feels good to be reminded of what’s really important in life and how fortunate we are, however harsh the bills may feel!
Here is some of the feedback we received from our team across the globe:
“Big up to December’s fabulous Foodbank friends who sorted Southwark’s spaghetti stash and tended to the teabag tower. Great work team!”
“On Monday, we volunteered at the Southwark Foodbank in south London. Their work is SO IMPACTFUL and it was such a joy to support them where they needed it most.”
“The Seattle team spent Wednesday morning at Food Lifeline, volunteering in the warehouse at the Hunger Solution Center to sort and pack food for distribution. We had a great morning sorting 4,000 lbs of food and are going to make it a quarterly team event!”
“I spent my Monday at Bowery Mission in Manhattan this week, helping sort through clothing donations. I personally love organizing and sorting through clothes so I had a lot of fun going through the donations and also got to meet some new people in the process. It was a great experience and I will definitely be back! :)”
“Massive shoutout to our team colleagues who led a workshop for COOP’s Data and Analytics students yesterday! They shared their career journey so far, and coached the students on how to tell a story with data and how to present data in a client facing scenario.”
“Healing Meals started in my hometown in Connecticut in 2016 and I was heavily involved with the organization throughout my time in high school. It was great to be welcomed back!”
“I learnt a shocking statistic that in 2020 10.5% of American households were food insecure at some point during the year, meaning they had insufficient money or other resources for food.”
So, to existing Agent3 employees across the globe, why wait? Find perspective and make a difference, for you and for someone else. And do it on Agent3 time. And to everyone else, if you’re looking for fulfilment in your role beyond the monthly paycheck, check out our vacant roles now!