Citi volunteers mark annual day of service

Across the world, over 65,000 Citi employees with family and friends celebrate 8th Global Community Day

MANILA, Philippines - On June 22, Citi employees in over 95 countries started the day not by checking financial statements or watching investment indices.  Instead, proudly sporting Citi Volunteer T-shirts, they went out to 473 cities, choosing to give back to the communities where they live and work.

 â€œSince our first Global Community Day in 2006, this company-wide initiative has quickly become a Citi tradition,” said Citi CEO Michael Corbat. “Last year’s Global Community Day saw the largest participation to date, and we are excited to carry that momentum into this year as we work side-by-side with local organizations to strengthen the communities where we live and work.”

Volunteerism is a central part of the Citi employee experience, with Citi volunteers regularly engaging in community service year-round. Global Community Day (GCD) spotlights and reinforces a shared commitment among Citi employees, clients, alumni, family and friends around the world to collaborate and dedicate their time and expertise to local community needs, including literacy and education, housing, environmental stewardship, health and human services, and disaster relief.

Bayanihan spirit in full force

In the Philippines, Citi volunteers engaged in a month-long celebration starting June 1, with over 3,300 signing up to mentor microentrepreneurs, clean a protected bird sanctuary, engage street children in financial education, empower agricultural communities and build homes for disadvantaged families.

Citi country officer for the Philippines Batara Sianturi thanked the team for “showing their leadership in these most worthy endeavors.  In the Philippines, Global Community Day continues to gain momentum with more and more raising their hand to do their share for the communities.”  With 19 events in 11 cities across the country, non-profit beneficiaries include  Bayan Academy, Childhope Asia Philippines, Gawad Kalinga, Hands On Manila, Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation, Seeds of Hope, World Vision and Virlanie Foundation.

GCD officially started at Sitio Binayoyo Elementary School in Antipolo City with more than 270 volunteers building a perimeter fence and helping prepare the school for the opening of classes in two weeks. Inside the classrooms, pre-school students were treated to games and storytelling sessions with Citi volunteers who acted as ate (big sisters) and kuya (big brothers) for the day. The children also eagerly received school supplies in time for the start of classes this month. The volunteer activity was held in coordination with the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation.

Over four weekends starting June 1, a total of 54 volunteers engaged high potential microentrepreneurs in coaching sessions at the Citi Microenterprise Development Center (CMDC). The sessions covered topics such as legal, marketing, human resources, finance, and operations and technology. A partnership with Bayan Academy, the Citi Foundation-funded CMDC offers training programs and small business advisory services to microentrepreneurs.

On June 8 and 22, some 870 Citi volunteers supported the cleanup of a protected bird sanctuary at Freedom Island, Metro Manila’s last remaining wetland and mangrove. The activity, organized in partnership with Hands On Manila, involved collecting trash along the Freedom Island coastline. Specific items such as rubber, sandals, shoes, plastic and styrofoam were collected and up-cycled for use in livelihood programs based in the local area.

In Tanay, Rizal, more than 260 Citi volunteers came on June 22 to help build homes for 160 families, who were displaced from their homes during Typhoon Ondoy back in 2009.  Side by side the beneficiaries, the volunteers mixed concrete, laid hollow blocks and hauled various materials to construct the homes.

Some 20 minutes away, over 200 volunteers worked with farmers of Gawad Kalinga Ave Maria Village to prepare soil for planting and build fences around the property.  For crops that are ready for harvest, volunteers provided assistance in the processing and helped in making chili paste, banana chips, atchara (pickled papaya) and jam.  Sianturi related that these farmers have been adopted by Citi Philippines.  “These families are beneficiaries of a Citi Foundation grant, where we are on one hand teaching them organic farming skills, and on the other how to sell to multiple buyers at competitive prices.  Eventually, these families will share their learnings to other communities and build more sustainable microenterprises.”

Championing financial literacy, 220 volunteers engaged street children in fun activities last June 8 while helping teach the value of saving. Citi volunteers acted as facilitators and assisted 100 beneficiaries of Childhope Asia Philippines in decorating cupcakes and making their own piggy banks out of recycled materials. In a ceremonial turnover, the cupcakes were “bought” for P20 which went straight into their new piggy banks as initial savings.

On June 15 in Makati City, nearly 130 Citi volunteers worked with 80 beneficiaries of Virlanie Foundation, engaging the children in team building sessions and games.  Over 230 Citi volunteers concluded the celebrations on June 29, working with 200 low-income youth in a school assisted by World Vision in Cavite.

Big thanks for big hearts

Expressing gratitude for Citi Philippines’ support, beneficiaries and community partners commended Citi volunteers for unselfishly sharing their time and effort in giving back to others.

One of the microentrepreneurs who attended the legal clinic at CMDC is Ismael Adiaton, who said they always look forward to coaching sessions with Citi volunteers. “I learned so much! Citi volunteers make us aware of certain benefits and issues applicable to us, and they also give good advice on some of the problems that we face. I appreciate that they also offered to make themselves available even after the session,” shared Adiaton.

 Sitio Binayoyo school’s head teacher, Dr. Catalina Bonayon, expressed her gratitude to Citi for answering their call for help. “We have long been in need of a perimeter fence to protect our school and our students. The assistance you have extended is very timely and much appreciated,” said Dr. Bonayon.

According to Tony Zuñiga, program manager of Hands On Manila: “Citi’s involvement is part of Hands On Manila’s thrust to promote collective change – where the government, non-profit, and private sector come together to address an important environmental issue. Citi volunteers are not only helping protect the last remaining mangrove and bird sanctuary in Manila, but they are also assisting livelihood programs that will use the recycled trash to make bags and hollow blocks.”

Thanking Citi volunteers for their “big hearts,” Childhope Asia Philippines executive director Teresita Silva said that Citi’s contribution is very important to both their institution and the children they support. “These children live and work in the streets and greatly appreciate the help that Citi volunteers give and the time that they spend with them. It is my hope that Childhope Asia Philippines’ partnership with Citi will continue in the years to come,” added Silva.

Gawad Kalinga’s head for partnerships, Tito Cajulis, said that Citi’s support started with the building of homes for Gawad Kalinga beneficiaries in Paranaque and other parts of Metro Manila. “Since then, our partnership with Citi has expanded to include food sufficiency programs to enable families to put food on their tables, and now, we are creating sustainable livelihood for beneficiaries here in Manila and all the way to Mindanao – proof of its commitment to microenterprise development among Filipino families,” said Cajulis.

Continuing the giving tradition

Working throughout North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Citi volunteers led hundreds of community projects.  In the days leading up to and including GCD, more than 65,000 Citi volunteers participated in over 1,200 service projects to benefit local communities.

In the final tally, Citi volunteers contributed more than 300,000 hours of service. As part of GCD, among other efforts, Citi volunteers served more than 14,200 meals to the hungry, built 240 houses, and revitalized more than 200 parks, beaches and green spaces.