TrustArc Gives Back – 2019 Recap
In 2019, TrustArc continued its commitment to corporate responsibility this year by organizing and attending several volunteering events. From cycling to gardening to providing gifts to underserved kids, TrustArc employees stayed active while giving back to the local and global community. The TrustArc Gives Back program was created to provide employees with opportunities to volunteer alongside their teammates in an effort to make the world a better place. Each year, TrustArc Gives Back creates numerous volunteer events throughout the year in a variety of different settings to provide several days of giving back and good times. This blog post recaps TrustArc’s multiple volunteer events from 2019.
Cycle for Survival
In February, the TrustArc team put on their workout gear and broke a sweat during Cycle for Survival, an annual stationary bike event where TrustArcers raise money with the goal of beating rare cancers through research. Each rider cycled their hearts out for an hour while being cheered on by fellow employees and event participants.
TrustArc raised $13,705 for Cycle for Survival this year! Every single dollar is directly allocated to rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center within six months of the close of fundraising.
Urban Gardening at the Sunnydale Gardens Project
In June, the TrustArc Team helped install a new garden at the Sunnydale Community Garden. The TrustArc team gardened, planted trees, worked on construction projects, and even helped paint a mural. The Sunnydale Gardens Project is the largest urban farming initiative in San Francisco.
TrustArc worked with Urban Sprouts and made a financial donation to help support their free educational and job-training programs for youth and families in San Francisco's underserved communities (in addition to covering supplies and staffing for the project).
Project Open Hand
During two days in September, the TrustArc community walked over to Polk Street in San Francisco and helped prepare, assemble, and distribute the 2,500 nutritious meals and nearly 200 bags of healthy groceries that went to their clients.
TrustArc partnered with Project Open Hand, a non-profit in our neighborhood, to help provide nutritious food options for clients with critical illnesses. The meals are nutritious and they work with registered dietitians to counsel clients on how to eat to feel better.
SF Marin Food Bank
Over three days in December, the TrustArc team donned hair nets and volunteered at the SF/Marin Food Bank. During their volunteer time, they sorted the fruits and vegetables that would eventually make their way into the hands of those in need of access to fresh produce.
The SF/Marin Food Bank serves families with children, seniors, and those experiencing homelessness. Every year, 225,000 people rely on food from the food bank and 30,000 families receive healthy groceries at over 260 pantry locations. More than 60% of the food they distribute is fresh produce.
The Family Giving Tree
For many families, the holiday season can be difficult. They’re already spread thin and are unable to provide the holiday experience they wish they could. This year, TrustArc worked with The Family Giving Tree and organized a company gift drive. From Hot Wheels to sewing machines, TrustArc was able to brighten the holidays for some needy families this season.
The Family Giving Tree is a Bay Area non-profit organization that helps underprivileged adults and children throughout our community. “Since 1990, the Family Giving Tree has provided gifts for over one million San Francisco Bay Area children, families, and seniors from low-income households.”
TrustArc employees in our Cebu office also made several generous contributions to the community this year:
TrustArc Reaches Out to the Ati Tribe
The Ati or Aetas are indigenous people of the Philippines. Being nomads, some of them migrated to Nage, Cebu about 20 years ago. Since then, their community has grown exponentially. While the local government is supporting the Ati community, there isn't enough for them to sustain a decent living. The Ati community has limited access to basic resources including water, and their children are not accustomed to basic hygiene such as taking a bath, brushing teeth or washing hands.
TrustArc employees went to the Ati Community on February 24, 2019, and presented a short cartoon on the importance of proper hygiene like taking a bath, washing hands and brushing teeth. After the short film presentation, TrustArc employees distributed Jollibee burgers & spaghetti – food that may be ordinary to most, but are considered gourmet to these children. The community outreach ended with TrustArc giving a special gift to the Ati Chieftain. He thanked TrustArc for its generosity, and for making an impact on the tribe members, especially the children.
TrusArc Joins National School Maintenance Week “Brigada Eskwela”
TrustArc Cebu conducted its 2nd community outreach program last June 26, 2019 to help senior students of Lagtang Elementary School, a public school located in Talisay, City, Cebu.
TrustArc learned that teachers had major concerns about their students’ lack of interest in continuing their formal education. One reason for this is the insufficient finances for students to buy the necessary school materials. TrustArc employees raised funds, which was matched by TrustArc, to buy school supplies such as notebooks, bond paper, pens, rulers, and other needed items. These materials were distributed to each and every senior high school student.
TrustArc employees, together with the co-founder of KA-T-ON (a non-profit organization that provides free tutorials for underprivileged high school students), also shared their own inspiring stories and messages to motivate the students to persevere and promote the importance of acquiring a formal education as a means to alleviate poverty, and improve human dignity. The school's faculty members, including its principal were there to recognize and thank TrustArc employees for sharing their time, efforts and money to help its students.
TrustArc Joins World Teachers' Day
Recognizing the important role of educators in the development of the country's future workforce, TrustArc Cebu distributed water canisters to 145 teachers of Pardo Elementary School, Cebu City as our simple way to thank them for their noble role in shaping the hearts and minds of children who will be the future economic drivers of the country. This event happened during the observation of the World Teacher's Day on October 4, 2019.
As 2019 comes to a close, the TrustArc Gives Back program is quickly adding volunteer events to the calendar for 2020. Want to work for a company that’s focused on giving back to the community? Looking for a great place to work that celebrates innovation, leadership and creativity? Check out the TrustArc Careers page and find out why TrustArc was recognized as a winner of the 2019 Bay Area Best Places To Work award
