The week of Oct. 16, 2023, was Global Week of Giving at Blue Yonder, and our associates contributed more than 700 hours of volunteer time helping local communities!! With World Food Day taking place on Oct. 16, food insecurity was a primary focus for several Blue Yonder planned events. However, associates also volunteered for many other causes that are important to them throughout the week. Below are some highlights of volunteering last week that were shared by our associates:
“I was able to participate in Colorado Springs Creek Week – creek and trail cleanup and bag collection in my local area. It was the first cold morning of the year, and the colors of the leaves were a bonus. These trails and creeks are precious resources that myself and my family, as well as the ducks in the photo enjoy. I thank BY for the support!” – Robert Greenwood, Colorado, U.S.
“Today was a memorable day for me at Blue Yonder. I spent some quality time with around 50 girls between the ages of 8 months and 15 years, who are mentally challenged and have multiple disabilities. I remembered a quote from Mother Teresa where she says, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Here is a pic of the team at Swanthana. The home is run by nuns along with 15 young women who take care of them selflessly. That place and children left me so touched.” – Diya Kuttappa, Bangalore, India
We were a diverse team united for a common cause at the ‘’Rehabilitation, Education and Care Center TPD Helenow’’ in Poland, where we have created a happier space for the people with disabilities living In the Center: we have worked in the yard, tended to gardens, painted the fences, and spread warmth to the animals. It is good to see how this shared experience brought us together as a group. Carrying this spirit of collaboration into our day-to-day roles further, can only build bridges that make us stronger as a collective. – Ramona Pricop, Warsaw, Poland
“After a few tough days on the field, I’m happy to have contributed my volunteer days to a local community-supported ecological agriculture farm! We were able to save loads of vegetables from being thrown away, and the experience certainly increased my appreciation for field work and vegetables itself – Fabian Gebhart, Karlsruhe, Germany
“The Melbourne team packed 12,523 meals for people in need. We had fun catching up whilst helping out the local community. We learnt about the warehouse and found out that one of our customers has volunteered there and spoke to Foodbank on how they could improve their warehouse. Not only does Blue Yonder’s volunteering help out the community, it also looks favourably to our current and potential customers. – Genevieve Lehman, Melbourne, Australia
“Nine associates from the Waukesha area participated in a volunteer day at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. Each volunteer arrived with a shared enthusiasm and a common goal—to give back to the community and make a difference. The results of the collective effort were remarkable as the volunteers sorted and packed an astounding 5,965 pounds of food into boxes translating into 4,970 meals. This food will soon find its way to food pantries and meal programs across Southeastern Wisconsin, impacting almost 5,000 individuals in the community and ensuring they have access to nourishing meals.” – Dianne Bender, Wisconsin, U.S.
“EMEA Associates took part in a ‘Green & Active’ session with Bracknell Forest Council’s ranger team, spending the day trimming and tidying a SANG (Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space), to make it more usable for the local community and wildlife. This involved plenty of hedge trimming, burning hawthorn and clipping back brambles. We made a huge difference to the pathways, enjoyed several seasons of weather and discovered muscles we didn’t know we had! Thanks to everyone who participated and helped to arrange this fun and impactful event!” – Hannah Eales, Bracknell, UK
“They say nature always wears the colors of Spirit so our BYonders from Bangalore and Hyderabad involved themselves with their high enthusiasm and spirits to show gratitude to our mother Earth by planting 170 saplings! Thanking every volunteer who was a part of the drive. You all have made a big difference in our ecosystem.” – Shreeya Hegde, Bangalore, India
“7 of us from the Singapore Office visited Foodbank SG’s warehouse yesterday to help them with sorting of their incoming food donations and taking inventory of the items received. In Singapore, about 10% of Singaporeans have faced food insecurity in the last 12 months. The Food Bank Singapore sources and rescues more than 800,000 kilograms of food annually for their network of beneficiary organisations.” – Linda Tembrevilla, Singapore
A full day charity events was held at the German Center in Shanghai, and we partnered with a local animal protection NPO to participate as part of that. During the event, we provided food, water, and medical assistance to stray animals in need. We educated people interested in adopting animals about the character, habits, rescue experiences and requirements for adoption of these cats and dogs, helping them to be adopted and get a stable life.” – Wendy Wang, Shanghai, China
