EN-GB
After being closed due to the pandemic, a children’s camp in Kanata, Canada, got some much needed sprucing up before kids returned for summer fun. In California, a community kitchen distributed food and hygiene products to families in need. A wild animal rescue in Prague, Czech Republic, was cleaned and prepped for educational excursions.
These are just a few examples of how Mitel employees donated their time, energy, and supplies as part of Mitel Serves, our global philanthropic community engagement program.
Powering Community Connections
One of Mitel’s core tenets is our belief in powering connections. Fostering engagement and support of the communities where we work and live has been an integral part of Mitel’s strategy since the company was founded 49 years ago.
“I’ve made some of the most meaningful connections in my career while volunteering with colleagues in our community,” said Tarun Loomba, CEO of Mitel. “Given the challenges of the pandemic and remote working, coming together to support our local communities, either in-person or virtually, is incredibly important to me. The connections we make with each other and with our communities make each of us, and our business, stronger.”
In the past, Mitel has celebrated with a day dedicated to service. This year we extended the initiative to the entire month of June to give more employees the chance to make a difference.
“We’re always evolving how we show up for each other and our communities,” said Paul Gregory, Chief of People and Culture. “With the way the world has changed, it’s more important than ever that we nurture our connections to the community and each other. We’re excited to expand our program this year to offer virtual opportunities to connect for our hybrid and virtual teams.”
For the inaugural Mitel Serves Month of Service, our amazing volunteer force of more than 300 employees contributed nearly 2,000 hours of their time to more than 20 different organizations worldwide. Here’s a look at just some of the ways in which our teams donated their time.
Virtual Volunteer Work with Goodera
Following the pandemic, much of Mitel’s workforce is still remote or hybrid, prompting us to find even more ways for everyone to participate no matter their location. Because we know how meaningful volunteering is for our employees, we partnered with Goodera to offer a variety of virtual opportunities, including:
- Recording audiobooks of stories for children through The Kids’ Cancer Project and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provide services for families of sick children.
- Creating worksheets on spoken English for people with learning disabilities in collaboration with the Mann Deshi Foundation, an Indian charity focused on empowering women in rural India.
- Learning sign language and recording messages of hope with Deafroots, a UK-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Additionally, our teams got together and shared their time and skills in person with organizations like...
Austin, Texas – Central Texas SPCA
A team of eight volunteers from the Central/Austin team helped with everyday chores around the Central Texas SPCA, restocking food, washing dishes, cleaning kennels, and anything else needed to maintain a happy, healthy environment for the animals. It’s hard to know who enjoyed all the backrubs, playtime, and puppy love more – the volunteers or the animals!
Kanata, Canada – Christie Lake Kids Camp
Following its two-year closure due to COVID-19, Christie Lake Kids Camp needed some major love and cleaning up before it could reopen its doors to 400 at-risk and low-income campers this summer. Fortunately, 64 Mitel Kanata volunteers stepped in to organize the camp kitchen, take inventory of supplies, paint, rake, cut trees, and prepare the camp’s 20 cabins for a new batch of kids.
In theme with Mitel’s 49 years of service, the Mitel team collected 49 sets of hats, pairs of shoes, beach towels, toiletry kits, campfire hoodies, swimsuits, and shorts, which were boxed up and donated to the camp.
Plano, Texas – Minnie’s Food Pantry
Minnie’s Food Pantry is a cause close to the heart of Melissa Allbritten, Mitel Serves Program Manager.
“We have volunteered with my favorite local charity, Minnie’s Food Pantry, every year since 2018, with the exception of 2020 due to COVID-19. It is also our employees’ favorite place to serve,” Allbritten said. “The charity turns each dollar donated into three meals, and in 2021 they provided more than 3.5 million meals to almost 150,000 individuals! They cannot do this without volunteers, and I’m proud that Mitel employees are helping them provide these critical services.”
This year, 10 members of the Plano team joined forces to prepare food boxes, assemble bags of donations, load boxes into clients’ cars, and work in the retail store. The Plano team also got in the spirit of celebrating Mitel’s 49th’ birthday by collecting 49 food items to donate and making cash donations of $49.
Prague, Czech Republic – ZOO Corner and Wild Animal Rescue
Located in a small, remote forest in Prague, the ZOO Corner and Wild Animal Rescue provides rescue facilities for animals as well as school excursions. Mitel’s Prague team rallied to help with the maintenance of animal enclosures and play areas for children to help the organization get ready for the summer’s educational programs. They helped paint fences, cut hedges, and clean the animal facilities. Colleagues with power tools even helped organize a tool storage shed for the rescue.
Sunnyvale, California – Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen
Thirty-four volunteers from Sunnyvale got together at the Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen, a charity that provides meals and services to vulnerable members of the Bay Area community. With the goal of helping their neighbors experiencing hunger, homelessness, or food insecurity, the team assembled 1,000 hygiene kits and 450 snack bags for those in need.
Bangalore, India – Dream School Foundation
Seventeen members of Mitel’s team in India kicked off a year-long mentorship program with the Dream School Foundation in which they will support students in identifying and growing their potential. The 12-month mentorship program is aimed at helping students polish their skills, enhance their technical knowledge, and help them get ready for the next phase in their career, such as being an entrepreneur or joining the corporate world. Mitel mentors will invest 450 hours of their time over the next year for this incredible initiative.
A Dedication to Service
We may have made volunteerism the focus in June, but our dedication to our communities lasts year-round.
“Every year I’m amazed at the impact we make around the globe, thanks to our local site champions and employees who volunteer,” said Allbritten. “Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes, and I love that Mitel cares and understands how important it is to give back where we live and work.”
Opportunities to get involved with Mitel Serves continue all year, and we are especially excited to offer more virtual volunteering opportunities through 2022. Next June, we’ll celebrate Mitel’s 50th birthday, and we’re honored to have been able to support our communities for that long. We look forward to evolving this program even more and seeing our team members out there in our communities!
