Life after 40
posted by Shelly Esque on July 23, 2009
Intel turned 41 this month. The company isn’t visibly celebrating, but I know the spirit of our 40th anniversary programs live on and are being deepened. As I visit Intel sites around the globe, I’m struck by the depth of commitment of our employees who are applying their professional skills to community needs and really taking the spirit of volunteerism to a more impactful and sustainable level. I love the idea that Intel groups do a volunteer event for their quarterlies, or that individuals commit to work with a non profit or school a few times a year, but let me share a few examples I’ve witnessed where employee’s Intel professional skills are making a huge impact - we call this skills-based volunteering.
- An Arizona CQN employee worked with the Arizona Quality Alliance, a non-profit, to assess a local college’s operational effectiveness. He also helped lead some sessions for the admissions department saving them $20K so far this year.
Fab 28 volunteers created training classes at a rehabilitation center for recovering drug addicts by providing internet courses to more than 60 students. The courses are helping recovering addicts land jobs, and be successful in life.
In Intel India, a group of volunteers saw that the UN had a problem coordinating relief aid after the Bihar floods. The problem was coordinating phone calls for more than 80 workers across multiple relief camps. The team created a SMS-based communication application (called Relief Communication Management System), where workers can send SMS messages to a particular helpline number and all their requests get published online on a webpage, making it easier for workers to communicate after disasters.
This video also captures the spirit of how applying professional skills and employee passion can have a huge impact to individuals, schools or nonprofit organizations.
These are just a few examples of what Intel employees are doing around the world. I’d also love to hear from you - what are you doing that applies your work skills to the community? Be a ROCK STAR in your community!
Comments (4)
tagged: CSR, Intel Involved, skills-based volunteering, volunteerism
Comments
Jul 24 | Intel_Jim said:
I’ve been working at Intel nearly 10 years. Also worked at GM (7 yrs), Honeywell, and other corp-type places. INTC really emphasizes community support via employees. It gives me more fulfillment than my day job (but don’t tell my manager please :-) Thanks to Intel for giving me this much latitude and encouragement.
Jul 27 | Peter T. Knight said:
Jim identifies one of the biggest benefits of volunteering – the personal satisfaction it brings to the volunteer. The economic crisis has underlined another more fundamental issue: if business is going to play a meaningful role in providing local social services, how can it provide consistency when the economic headwinds are too strong? Many organizations and communities have found themselves abandoned as volunteering has suffered the same cuts as other discretionary spends.
Maybe the newly middle-aged Intel can use its experience to provide some insight into the future of volunteering. Or to mangle your catchline: Yesterday is so relevant to Today.
Aug 06 | Kristal said:
I love companies that engourage volunteerism!
Aug 18 | Ram said:
very interesting !!