Volunteering 2012
We did it, Volunteers! As we look back on 2012 thru the pages of this memoir, we can not help but be profoundly moved and be personally inspired by the 3,600 hours of service and more than 350 volunteers that made this all possible, the work that has been done, the lives that have been touched, and changed! These past 12 months have been unprecedented for IBM Costa Rica’s social responsibility pledge - we’ve raised genuine concern towards our communities vulnerabilities and have acted upon them! 1. You met 5 endangered families in La Carpio, and built worthy houses for them, aside from bringing food to their tables and giving hope for their children. 2. Hundreds of you, donated textbooks for an entire school in Santa Rita de Alajuela, one of the most insecure communities in the area, where school desertion rises every year. 3. Throughout the year, you tutored over 50 children on Saturdays with their school assignments in El Triangulo de la Solidaridad, increasing their chances to finish school and changing their reality. 4. Over 700 children in La Aurora received environmental education from you, to learn that the magic in trees can be found within them. 5. A magnificent planting rally was accomplished, where 3,650 native trees found a new home and biological corridors will ensure sustainability of their communities. We’ve also heard amazing stories and recognized your individual service efforts, such as the installation of solar panels that will provide clean energy to communities in the Caribbean, or the brilliant idea to donate the profits of recycling for diapering products for a nursing facility. These noble projects have been the catalyst for positive change and a new pledge for service that IBM Costa Rica is now ready to continue - we will have bigger projects, with bigger impact and bigger volunteer-force this 2013!!! As IBM’s Chairman, President and CEO, Ginni Rometty, mentioned in her 2013 Employee Broadcast when referring to our impact to the communities we live in - “... this is what makes us us, it is what makes me proud, this is what makes you an IBMer”. On behalf of the nearly 1,000 people benefited from our projects, and the IBM CR Volunteering Committee - our heartfelt thanks for your dedication to service!!!
IBM CR Volunteering Committee
We had a great year and our volunteer work was one of the highlights. The volunteer program allows the opportunity for IBMers to share their time, skills and expertise at schools and community organizations. I encourage everyone to participate in future initiatives, which directly benefit the community, are personally rewarding and help promote the IBM brand. James Rutledge, VP LA Global Delivery & CR Site Executive
IBM Costa Rica had a record year in 2012 for volunteering activities participation and service hours. Additionally we are now part of the official LA service team and have the opportunity to do a lot more in this area for the years to come. Thank you for all the achievements and efforts in 2012 and I encourage everyone to have an active participation in 2013 to have an even better year and really make an impact in our community. Alberto Mainieri, Costa Rica GPSD Center Leader & Site Operations Manager
3600 service hours. More than 450 days of service. 10 successfully completed projects. 330 active volunteers and 15 Service Leaders. Benefited more than 700 children with education, 25 family members with 5 houses and solar panels, and the planet with over 3650 trees planted. IBM grants provided nearly $25,000 to our partner NGOs, and already a pipeline of at least 10 new projects for 2013. Over
Environmental Projects
Seeds of Knowledge Reforestation + Environmental Awareness and Education Impact: Phase 1:Enviornmental Education. La Aurora School (Heredia), 700 kids. Phase 2: Reforestation: Environmental Awareness within IBM, creation of Carbon Sinks Directly linked to a Best Practice effort to transform IBM into C-Neutral( Differentiation/ Cost Reduction / Strategic Partnerships/Sustainability / Project Management) , which is aligned to Costa Rica’s effort to become C-Neutral in 2021. Trees planted: 3650 Target trees:3650 IBM On-Demand Community Community Impact Grant Winner: IBM’s Seeds of Knowledge • Support project to be implemented 3 times / year. • 2nd Nomination Of IBM Costa Rica : $10, 000 • Nomination: On Demand Community Excellence Award.
Recycle Campaign How can we mitigate our carbon foot print and at the same time help our golden citizens? IBM thru RESO department has implemented the recycling material program, in which IBMers donate paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and cans. Thanks to this innovative idea, in 2012 more than ¢715.000 colones were donated for diapers to the elderly home “Carlos María Ulloa” in Guadalupe, San José. We are going to continue to donate the collected funds to charitable institutions.
Infrastructure Projects
Solar Panels This project involved a collaboration with the USA Peace Corps in the initiative ‘‘Promoviendo el Uso de Energías Alternativas y Prácticas Sostenibles con Fines Educativos’’. The volunteering consisted in two major activities: installing solar panels to lower the energy costs that the Corredor Biológico was incurring in and providing education and awareness of environmental sustainable habits that can be adopted to minimize the use of natural resources and to reduce the carbon footprint, mitigating the effects of climate change. In the first phase an interactive workshop and discussion on environmentally friendly and sustainable practices was provided. IBM volunteers collaborated in the elaboration and presentation, impacting 30 attendees, representing the communities of Hone Creek, Bribri, La Guaria/Penshurt, Valle de la Estrella and Puerto Viejo, among others, as well as the following organizations: IDA, MAG, UICN, Corredor Biológico, El Yue, ATEC and the Bribri and Valle de la Estrella high schools. The second phase of the project included the installation of the solar panels. IBM supported the project with funding and volunteers to complete the final installation. The third phase of the project is still developing. It’s purpose is to bring awareness about climate change.
Un Techo Para mi País As part of IBM’s Centennial Celebration of Service, our very first Catalyst Grant was given in 2011 to this Service Project for the construction of 5 emergency homes in the community of “La Carpio”. “IBM construye un Techo para mi País” has been our biggest Volunteering effort so far, with over 2,000 service hours dedicated by nearly 100 volunteers - an honorable effort that resulted in permanent housing for immigrant families, as an opportunity for a better and brighter future. This outstanding commitment to Service was demonstrated during 4 full days of hardwork, where the heavy rain and heat did nothing to the sense of pride and gratitude of all volunteers, community members and thankful families working around the clock. “ Sin duda alguna, la experiencia más gratificante y enriquecedora, de la cual se rescatan un sin fin de cosas buenas y en donde se demostraron los valores de los muchos que participamos en esta TAN linda actividad, que no solo nos permitió compartir un buen rato con personas de la compañía, sino que también nos brinda la posibilidad de acercanos y ayudar a personas verdaderamente especiales que viven en zonas de peligro social y que sus vidas son ejemplo de perseverancia y lucha, es algo envidiable de estas personas y de las cuales aprendí montones “ - IBM Volunteer, February 2012
Social Support Projects
Project Management and Leadership Workshop As part of the “Service Week” activities in August, CC&CA Leaders from Argentina - Raquel Godoy and Paola Simonettii - shared with enthusiasm their experience and fantastic view on Service with a series of workshops to celebrate IBM Costa Rica’s incorporation to the LA CC&CA vertical, a significant milestone in our history of volunteering, and the confirmation of the company’s commitment to service. A workshop of Project Management was delivered to all our partner NGOs, where 4 of our very own Project Managers participated and mentored these organizations and grew their skills by learning how to manager Service Projects. An internal PM workshop was also conducted with a larger group of IBMers, as well as a training for Service Leaders. Finally, a session with 15 young leaders was held to present IBM’s view on “Leadership and Collaboration”, with the purpose of growing a sense of respect and confidence in new generations for them to become change agents in their vulnerable communities.
Educational Projects
Volunteering Day at “Triángulo de la Solidaridad” The Volunteering Day took place in the 3Q of 2012. The volunteers, along with the children and the families of the Community “Triángulo de la Solidaridad” participated in 4 activities: ·
Fun Day with the Kids and volunteers.
· Two workshops from the On Demand Community Activity Kits “Get a Job” with young adults (10 college students from the community) helping them to create their own resumes, practice on how to face a job interview and a presentation called: “Undestanding the Business Culture” ·
Holiday Party in which 100 gifts were donated to the children (Helped by the Women Network initiative).
Mentor Place Mentoring/Tutoring program’s purpose was to reach the community of “Triángulo de la Solidaridad”and the staff of the organization “El Niño y la Bola”. The activity was done on a weekly basis where volunteers tutored children and youth for a period of 3 hours. This project aimed to: Help them with their class assignments so they stayed in school, graduated from high school, and most importantly create mentoring relationships with them that would allow volunteers to equip young people to live healthy lives and to be leaders capable of reaching and helping others. On the tutoring sessions around 50 kids were covered per week, from 6 through 14 years old. More than 20 IBMers participated in the project, with more than 100 hours pledge in the On Demand Community portal in 2012. This participation allowed the project to win a Community Service Grant of $3000.
Libros para Todos On January 2012, IBM participated on a noble campaign called: ‘Libros para todos’. This program’s objective is to contribute increasing the educational level of the Costa Rican children and youngsters who live in high socioeconomic risk places, thru book donation. With the help of all IBMers we were able to collect a donation that was worth 583 books, which helped 311 kids start the year with all of their text books.
This 2013 comes with bigger projects, bigger impact and bigger volunteer-force!!! As IBM’s Chairman, President and CEO, Ginni Rometty, mentioned on her 2013 Employee Broadcast when referring to our impact to the communities we live in “... this is what makes us us, it is what makes me proud, this is what makes you an IBMer”.
JOIN US! write to: ibmcrvolunteers@cr.ibm.com hat was worth 583 books, which helped 311 kids start the year with all of their text books.