Samsung employees find joy in giving back to their communities
When employees commit to joining an organization, it’s not just about the salaries and benefits. For many employees, the company’s values are equally important.
“People want to work for organizations that are committed to being socially responsible,” says Kelly Mcnamara, manager, corporate citizenship for Samsung Canada. “Employees want to be part of a team that gives back to the community in meaningful ways.”
For years, Samsung has been helping employees do just that. “Corporate Citizenship is a key pillar for Samsung globally,” Mcnamara says. “Our programs are committed to enabling people and our employees value the fact that we invest in initiatives that resonate in their communities.
Giving back is something that employees are increasingly passionate about, she adds. “Everyone can get involved in a way that works best for them. We try to make it easy for our people to participate in the many opportunities available to them; through employee volunteer days, team events, or donation matching.”
Christian Di Vincenzo, product manager, mobile at Samsung Canada, says he appreciates working for an employer that shares his personal values and lets him decide how he gives back to his community. “We want to do more than just donate money. One of the great things Samsung does is make it a priority to give employees the time to personally get involved.”
A hallmark event for Samsung globally is its annual Day of Giving, during which all employees are given a day to engage in local community projects. In Canada, efforts for the day range from tree planting and shoreline cleaning, to packing care kits for hospitals and park restorations.
Recently, Di Vincenzo joined dozens of his co-workers at Daily Bread Food Bank to sort and pack Thanksgiving food donations that went out to over 600 families in need across the city. “The beauty of it was that we were able to see the impact it had on the people who came to pick up their food.”
In selecting community partners for this event, Mcnamara says they talk to employees throughout their Canadian operations about what matters to them locally. “Thanks to their input, the number of organizations we support keeps growing every year.”
Toronto’s Sickkids hospital is one of the organization’s long-time partners in Canada. Not only do employees give time to activities such as assembling over 500 patient craft kits on Day of Giving, the organization has also donated product to the hospital’s Samsung Space, where families and patients can engage with technology through child Life programming.
Samsung’s support of Autism Speaks Canada is another unique home-grown initiative. The partnership has donated over 2,500 tablets to families and autism service organizations and aims to raise awareness of autism in Canada, bringing a deeper understanding of how technology can impact the lives of families living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Di Vincenzo is one of many employee volunteers who prepares the tablets for distribution to the families. He says it offers a window into how Samsung technology can make a difference. “When I work on projects like this, I get to see how our products actually have a significant impact on our communities in very positive ways. I find that inspiring.”
In addition to the Day of Giving, employees are given one paid day off per year to engage in community volunteer activities of their choosing. Plus, the company provides funds and time during work hours to engage in community projects as a department, twice a year. Samsung Canada also has a donation-matching program for individual contributions, and encourages team fundraising activities.
Nicole Egan, carrier marketing manager, recently used one of her personal volunteer days this year to celebrate Halloween with the patients and their families at Sickkids.
“I’ve been a long- time supporter of the Samsung and Sick-
Kids partnership. Handing out the treats was such a great way to spend the day, seeing the kids enjoy the holiday experience was such a meaningful experience and I’m grateful to Samsung for giving me the opportunity to support the incredible Sickkids community.”
Egan too values the opportunities to see firsthand how her efforts impact community members. “It’s important for employees to feel that what we are doing is meaningful and rewarding. We want to know that the hours we put into our job are for a bigger purpose.”