Na Nielsen, nós nos dedicamos a retribuir às comunidades onde vivemos e fazemos negócios. Para capacitar nossos funcionários a retribuir às suas comunidades, oferecemos 24 horas de tempo dedicado ao voluntariado para cada funcionário da Nielsen anualmente. E eles são livres para usar essas horas durante todo o ano para eventos em grupo ou voluntariado individual que seja significativo para eles.
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.
Além da semana passada como voluntários para reparar os danos causados pelo furacão, nossos colegas também arrecadaram dinheiro para os esforços de recuperação de Porto Rico para a AHAH.
Fatou Sow, uma das voluntárias, disse que se sentiu "inspirada pela natureza altruísta de outros voluntários de todo o mundo". Jake também considerou a experiência deste ano "inestimável", dando aos voluntários a oportunidade de ajudar uma comunidade carente e desenvolver "habilidades para toda a vida ao longo do caminho".
“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
