Dec 2018

NEWSLETTER
December 2018

EDITOR’S
NOTE
01

We are delighted to bring to you the Work to Give newsletter for
December 2018. In commemoration of the International Day of Disabled
Persons that is observed on December 3 rd of every year, ‘Empowering Persons
with Disability’ was our volunteering theme for this month. Around
300 volunteers participated across 16 events conducted on the theme. The
objective of these events was to create awareness and promote the rights and
well-being of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social,
economic and cultural life.
455 volunteers from HGS Philippines volunteered to distribute essential items
to underprivileged children and families from low income groups. Volunteers
also contributed 406 hours towards providing holistic education to children at
government schools.
Over 200 paper bags were made and distributed to promote eco-friendly
practices. A total of 115 volunteers also contributed 475 hours to reach 449
beneficiaries through other community volunteering initiatives.
We would like to thank all the volunteers for their contribution in making this
month eventful. Let us know how we can help you get more involved. We are
listening at CSR@teamhgs.com.
Team CSR
02

EMPOWERING PERSONS WITH DISABILITY
In commemoration of the International Day of Disabled Persons, our volunteering theme for the month of December was
‘Empowering Persons with Disability’. Through 16 volunteering events, we were able reach over 1,000 PwD beneficiaries.
At Divya Downs Development trust around 102 volunteers helped create items like candles, lamps, lanterns, cloth and paper bags,
and items for Christmas decoration. A stall was also set up at the premise of an HGS offices in Bengaluru to sell these articles.
20 volunteers supported them with the logistics involved in setting up the stall and also helped attract customers. Esther Thomas,
the founder of DDDT says, “Around 50 % of our products were sold. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers
who made this possible.”
Around 47 volunteers also supported Seva In Action to make handloom articles and paper bags for sale during the Christmas
season. Our NGO partner The Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, organized their 14 th annual walkathon on December 8, 2018,
to raise awareness on Digital Inclusion of Persons with Disability. Over 120 volunteers from Bangalore participated in this event.
16 01 296 5,280 1,019
Events Locations Volunteers Hours of volunteering Beneficiaries
03

Volunteering to support persons with disability at DDDT, the Samarthanam Trust and Seva In Action
04

SHARING JOY THROUGH GIFTS
Sharing love and joy through gifts is a consistent theme of the Christmas season. This month, employees from HGS Philippines
organized several ‘Gift Giving’ events across various orphanages, shelter homes and underprivileged communities. At the Brgy.
Sulbod, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo City, a second class municipality that houses families with from lower socio-economic backgrounds,
a gift giving activity was organized by 22 volunteers. A variety of games were played for the entertainment of the children and
prizes and treats were given to the winners. The gifts included grocery and relief packages containing items to meet basic
household requirements.
In coordination with the local school in the Malalison Island, volunteers identified 38 underprivileged children. A need of each child
was determined, and gifts were distributed to meet that need. Several word games were also organized for all the school children
and prizes were given to the winners.
At another event in Iloilo City, all the children of a local school requested for a pair of slippers as a gift. Food and beverages were
distributed along with the gift. Additionally, children were taught certain hygiene practices like the importance of, and the correct
method of washing hands. A total of 141 volunteers participated at this event.
A total of 455 employees’ participants across 7 ‘Gift Giving’ volunteering events at the Philippines this month.
07 01 455 1,644 449
Events Locations Volunteers Hours of volunteering Beneficiaries
05

Volunteers from HGS Philippines distribute gifts and engage with children at
various shelter homes and orphanages
06

SUPPORTING HOLISTIC EDUCATION
Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts can be considered as educational. Through various
volunteering initiatives, our volunteers attempted to promote holistic and effective education among underprivileged children.
This month, 3 Sports for development sessions were conducted at Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam. In association with our NGO
partner the Magic Bus India Foundation, we reached out to promote health, Right to Play, Education, Socio-emotional Learning
and Gender Sensitivity through these sessions.
As a part of the ‘Kit for Kids’ event, over 36 volunteers from Bangalore distributed Hygiene Kits comprising of daily items like,
toothbrush, toothpaste and soaps to children at government schools. These items were donated by the employees, and packed in
tidy eco-friendly paper bags. 26 employees also volunteered to conduct a session on personal safety and hygiene for high school
students at a government school in Bengaluru.
40 volunteers assisted the kitchen Staff of The Akshaya Patra Foundation to prepare mid-day meal for 200 students. Over 60
Students from the Rungta College of Engineering and Technology, Bhilai also visited the HGS Raipur office and attended a session
on the functioning of the ITES sector, work culture and career opportunities at HGS.
Extending the spirit of the International Day of Disability, 50 volunteers from Indore and Mumbai helped organise drawing competitions
at government schools to help inculcate the values of empathy and inclusion in children.
10 05 125 406 553
07
Events Locations Volunteers Hours of volunteering Beneficiaries

Enabling education through volunteering initiatives across 5 cities
08

WORKING TOWARDS CREATING A GREENER PLANET
This month, we continued to extend our effort towards reducing the usage of plastic and promoting eco-friendly alternatives.
51 volunteers from Bangalore and Hyderabad contributed over 153 hours to make over 200 paper bags.
These bags were then distributed at the local market areas in the respective cities. The team from Hyderabad also extended their
distribution to slum areas. Volunteer Simmi Patel says, “People were very happy to receive these gifts.”
02 02 51 153 200
09
Events Locations Volunteers Hours of volunteering Beneficiaries

Volunteers distributing handmade paper bags at local market places
10

DRIVING COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Aashayein Foundation is an NGO based out of Hyderabad that works towards the betterment of underprivileged children. HGS has
been volunteering to support their flagship program called the ’Sunday Breakfast Serving‘ program for over a year a now. This
month, around 20 employees volunteered to serve breakfast at orphanages, hospitals and community centres on every Sunday of
the month. The objective of the program is to ensure that children receive healthy and hygienic breakfast that meets their nutrition
needs.
9 volunteers from Noida and a team of 8 volunteers from Durgapur distributed paper bags and winter clothes like jackets, sweaters
and socks to people living in slum areas. At Bengaluru, a group of 32 volunteers donated essential stationary items to primary
school children at a government school. This was also followed by a session on personal health and hygiene.
A team of 49 volunteers from Iloilo City, Philippines visited the Dorcas House which is a shelter home for women and children.
The volunteers got together to clean up the premises and engaged the children in games, crafts and storytelling.
07 05 115 475 449
11
Events Locations Volunteers Hours of volunteering Beneficiaries

Glimpse of community outreach events across 5 cities
12

VOLUNTEER
SPOTLIGHT
Mary Swaroopa.S
Deputy Manager - OD & PM
The contribution of our volunteers is at the core of all our initiatives. By channelizing their time and effort we are able to work for
different causes and reach our beneficiaries. Our volunteer on spotlight for this edition is Mary Swaroopa. S, Deputy Manager -
OD & PM. In her tenure of 4.5 years she has volunteered for numerous events and has assisted in coordinating and managing most
of them. Let us learn more about her volunteering journey.
01
What motivated you to volunteer and drive volunteering for HGS?
I hold a graduation degree in Social Work and have been trained as a professional Social Worker. I firmly believe that every
individual has a moral responsibility towards the betterment of the society. Therefore, when HGS started the volunteering initiative
I was more than happy to participate and actively helped organised the events.
02
What is the most memorable accomplishment of your volunteering experience?
I had an opportunity to identify and organize a volunteering event at a government school in Chennai. We conducted a workshop
for over 150 adolescent girl students on personal safety, distinction between good touch and bad touch, and methods of
readdressing sexual misconducts and other related issues. Following the session, a few students opened up about their
predicament, and we were able to help them by highlighting their concerns to the schools headmistress.
03
According to you what is most significant contribution or accomplishment a volunteer can make to an organization?
As a volunteer one needs to engage wholeheartedly in the volunteering activity, and work with commitment to help the beneficiaries.
This is the best way to contribute towards the organizations goal to work for different social causes through volunteering.
04
Has volunteering enhanced your personality?
I feel a sense of fulfillment at the end of every volunteering event, and after coordinating so many events I have gained the
confidence of being able to manage events of even a larger scale.
05
What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering?
Please don’t volunteer to tick off an organizational requirement. Volunteer with passion and commitment, and help to bring about
a positive change in the society. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community.
13

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