This story was submitted by Braze.
Earlier this month, Braze held its third annual Volunteer Week, a global week of service where employees are encouraged to take time out of their busy work schedules to give back to the local communities where we live and work.
At Braze, our Social Impact mission is to use our technology, ecosystem, and people to advance equitable growth, accelerate science-based climate solutions, and create opportunity for underserved groups within our communities. Volunteer Week is a big part of how we amplify our impact for and with our communities, and we are incredibly grateful to each employee who gave their time.
The week consisted of 33 in-person and eight virtual volunteer events, where a total of 540 employees rolled up their sleeves to serve over 1,200 total hours in support of 19 nonprofit organizations. Below is a recap of our global volunteer activities organized by cause area:
Providing access to healthy and nutritious food
Employees volunteered their time in support of organizations tackling food insecurity and providing access to nutritious foods for those in need. From sorting and packaging more than 2,700 meals-worth of food donations for vulnerable communities in Central Texas, to hand-delivering warm meals to homebound elderly in NYC, employees across six global cities served over 300 hours to address this critical cause.
“Braze volunteers helped to pack 758 boxes of food, weighing a total of 6,550 lbs. That is equivalent to approximately 5,295 meals for our neighbors facing food insecurity. Your impact is immeasurable, and we are grateful for Braze’s investment in our mission.”
-Charlene Moser, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Food Bank of the Rockies
Organizations supported:
-
Austin: Central Texas Food Bank
-
Australia: Our Big Kitchen
-
Chicago: Common Pantry
-
Denver: Food Bank of the Rockies
-
NYC: Citymeals on Wheels
-
Paris: Secours Populaire
Supporting ecological restoration and conservation efforts
Employees spent their time protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable ecosystems. In Los Angeles, a group of remote employees participated in an ecological restoration event with TreePeople to clear invasive species, plant new trees, and learn about the natural ecology of their urban environment. In London, employees volunteered with both The Conservation Volunteers and Global Generation to promote sustainable habitats for the local community through planting and woodworking. NYC-based employees conducted gardening maintenance with Fort Greene Park, and employees in San Francisco carried out various habitat restoration tasks at Mount Sutro alongside Sutro Stewards.
Serving our unhoused neighbors
Across Austin, Berlin, and NYC, employees dedicated their time to nonprofits in direct service of those experiencing homelessness. Austin employees prepared and served warm meals for over 150 individuals at Caritas of Austin. Berlin employees conducted an aid mission on Berlin’s streets to supply vulnerable individuals with hot meals, beverages, clothing, and essential items through Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe. And, despite the unforeseen air quality impacts drifting over from the Canadian wildfires, employees in New York City rallied together to serve meals at Bowery Mission in the Lower East Side.
“Braze has shown their dedication to ending homelessness in our city by not only supporting our Community Kitchen through preparing and distributing meals but also by doubling their impact through meal sponsorships. Thank you, Braze, for continuing to support our work of ending homelessness and establishing well-being in Austin!”
-Perla Carranza, Community Partner Coordinator at Caritas of Austin
Removing waste from our waters
In Tokyo, volunteers removed over 1,300 liters of trash along the Arakawa River in partnership with Hands on Tokyo. In Chicago, employees gathered to clean up North Avenue Beach in an effort to conserve and restore the world’s largest freshwater resource alongside the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Singapore employees volunteered with Waterways Watch Society, collecting more than 140 liters of trash via pedal boat in the Marina Reservoir.
Empowering youth development and career readiness
Braze team members volunteered virtually with SuitUp, an organization on a mission to increase career readiness for all students through innovative business plan competitions. Volunteers leveraged their skills to coach students through the creation of a marketing strategy pitch, providing them with exposure to corporate employment opportunities that exist beyond higher education.
Providing sighted support for the visually-impaired
Employees from around the globe opted to volunteer virtually with Be My Eyes, a social enterprise app that pairs volunteers with individuals needing sighted support through a one-way video interface. Braze volunteers helped individuals with a variety of tasks such as reading a blood pressure monitor, checking sell-by dates on food items, troubleshooting thermostats, organizing medication, and sorting mail.
We’d like to extend our gratitude to the staff of each organization mentioned above, whose time and investment in bringing our employee groups in to support their work does not go unnoticed. And on behalf of the Social Impact team, we look forward to sharing future updates with you all as we strive to build a year-round culture of volunteerism at Braze.
