ニールセンでは、私たちが生活し、ビジネスを展開している地域社会に恩返しをすることに専心しています。社員が地域社会に貢献できるよう、ニールセンでは社員一人ひとりに年間24時間のボランティア時間を提供しています。社員は年間を通して、グループイベントや個人的なボランティア活動など、自分にとって意義のある活動にこの時間を自由に使うことができます。
Last year, Jake Comito, a Commercial Emerging Leader Associate (ELA) at Nielsen, was determined to find a way to help Houston after it was struck by Hurricane Harvey. While he could have simply made a donation and moved on, Jake knew that using his dedicated volunteering time would be a better way to make a meaningful impact. Working quickly, Jake forged a relationship between Nielsen Cares, our global volunteer program, and All Hands & Hearts – Smart Response (AHAH), a volunteer-driven disaster relief organization. He then successfully recruited 16 ELAs to travel to Houston, sleep in bunks and help the recovery efforts, dividing the group into two in order to spend back-to-back weeks providing aid.
With the positive feedback from that first trip, we decided to forge a year-long collaboration with AHAH to support additional group volunteer trips, as well as individual volunteering. One year after Houston, Jake and 19 other Nielsen associates volunteered again, this time in Puerto Rico, which was severely struck by Hurricane Maria in September 2017. From Nov. 12-16, 2018, the group traveled to Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, for a week of repairing homes, roofing and sanitizing.
During the week, the group together logged 800 volunteer hours and worked on at least five houses and a school affected by the hurricane, completing or contributing to a range of projects that included mold sanitation, critical roof repair and cementing. AHAH also gave the volunteers the opportunity to integrate themselves into the community, allowing them to better understand the impact they had on both the individual homeowners and the community at large.
ハリケーン被害の修復ボランティアに費やした1週間に加え、同僚たちはAHAHのプエルトリコ復興活動のための募金活動も行った。
ボランティアの一人であるファトゥ・ソウは、"世界中から集まった他のボランティアの無私無欲な性格に刺激を受けた "と語った。ジェイクもまた、今年の経験が "かけがえのないもの "であり、ボランティアに困っているコミュニティを支援する機会を与え、"その過程で生涯使えるスキルを身につける "ものであったという。
“When we heard about the experiences of the group that volunteered in Houston and saw the ongoing passion for this organization, extending the relationship with All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response seemed like an incredible way for Nielsen associates to engage with communities impacted by disasters, as well as connect with each other,” said Crystal Barnes, SVP of Global Responsibility & Sustainability at Nielsen. “We’re so excited to plan additional relief trips in 2019 and continue to build this relationship.”
Photo credit: Alicia Kidd Photography
