What Community Service Means to Optimus:
It’s undisputed that giving back is a core connector in large communities and companies. At Optimus, contributing time and funding to various causes in society is something that brings us all together, reigniting our humanity. Especially in a large company like ours, corporate social responsibility through is especially important and we find that community service keeps us humble and grounded. For both the Vancouver and Noida offices, philanthropy is of the utmost importance; we want to make connections and see how we can make an impact. To us, community service isn’t just giving donations. We take the time to hone in on how we can make a difference to the communities surrounding ours.
How We Choose to Give Back in 2019:
We believe that giving back to local communities is crucial in establishing tangible change. In Vancouver, we have focused on helping those in close vicinity to the office by creating small yet meaningful movements. In the fall, we gathered together in Oppenheimer Park, a recent safe place and home to many homeless citizens. A group of volunteers from our team spent a Saturday afternoon handing out hot samosas in this area of the Downtown Eastside. On that day alone, we estimate that we served close to 500 individuals.
Vancouver CSR Team in Oppenheimer Park
In 2019, we also had a sandwich fundraiser to raise money for the Zajac Ranch for Children. A summer camp that provides fun experiences for children with disabilities, Zajac Ranch makes accessibility their top priority; medical conditions don’t hold back the children from enjoying the full potential to just be kids. Optimus and Enkel, our sister company, had volunteered to match the given donations dollar for dollar. We organized a sandwich fundraiser and collected personal donations from the staff which were matched by the company. Furthermore, we plan to organize a volunteer day and visit the camp later this year.
Vancouver Team putting collected items together for donation bags
Aligned Global Contributions:
During the harsh winter months, both the Vancouver and Noida offices contributed winter bundles to local communities. The Vancouver bundles included toques, gloves, socks, toothbrush/toothpaste, and a snack. In India with cold temperatures, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Team collected blankets and clothing to donate to Uday Foundation, which provides shelter for women and children undergoing medical treatment. Over the past year, in Noida, we also worked closely with the Smile Foundation, which has an initiative for every child to attend school. Currently, they have 30,000+ children across 27 states in India attending school through Mission Education Projects. Optimus Information’s Power of 10 Initiative provided to this organization. In addition, visits and drives occurred to local charities.
CSR Team in Noida visiting Uday Foundation
In July and November, team members from Optimus visited children at Deepalaya. This organization is focused on identifying economically and socially deprived children to help them become educated and skilled. We gathered our resources and were able to donate stationery as well as computers. We celebrated Children’s Day on November 14th at Deepalaya, by bringing the children lunch and continuing to encourage them on their path to higher education. By picking different organizations throughout the year, we hope to make an impact for various communities of people around us in both Canada and India.
Where We Want to Be Helping in the Future:
Optimus is deeply passionate about making a difference in the local community. Our company has launched an initiative in 2020 to reach a goal of 5,000 volunteer hours collectively in both the Vancouver and Noida office. Moreover, our efforts will be mirrored with a concentration on education, healthcare and environmental conservation.
Looking ahead into the new year, the CSR Team continues to engage with local NGOs. By circulating a survey to employees on what socio-economic issues are important to them, we are able to focus on issues that have a personal impact as well. Our unified efforts are primarily focused on education, as we believe it is the path to empowerment.
Spending time on Children’s Day in India with the Deepalaya organization
Through company collaboration, we are able to put our best collective efforts forward. Feedback from our employees to focus our efforts on upcoming corporate social responsibility activities include organizing backpacks to give to those less fortunate, stocked with basic necessities. We continuously donate at a blood drive and intend to carry on doing so. We feel that in order to truly make a difference, you must donate your time not just your money. Connecting on a deeper level is always the core purpose behind our philanthropic initiatives. To give our time is what matters most to us. We hope to truly make a difference in whatever way we can.
