It is easy to get caught up in life’s distractions and overlook that those around us need a caring hand from us. That is why SAP’s Month of Service is such a cool and rewarding program. It reminds us to look beyond our daily stresses and show up for others. I had the opportunity to work with fellow team members from our Concur San Francisco office on a few different Month of Service projects. We painted murals for Atlanta Hospitals, sorted and packed food at the SF-Marin Food Bank, and hosted a professional development event with Upwardly Global.
Upwardly Global pairs job seeking skilled immigrants with current professionals to provide them guidance on interview training, networking, and other corporate exposure. Wayne Lindsay, our Lead Recruiter in San Francisco, hosted this volunteer project in our office before, and much like last time, we had a fantastic turnout.
Many immigrants, previously employed in highly skilled professions such as medicine, research, and teaching, are in the US job market because they lack the skills to market themselves successfully to employers. We spent a day working with the participants from Upwardly Global on writing resumes, discussing strategy to network, and in role-play to practice interviewing. It was a rewarding for both sides and we had great feedback from participants and volunteers.
Next up, we had a chance to channel our inner Kindergartner. Mural painting was a fun one. It was great to meet and work with colleagues from other offices in Silicon Valley. Who knew we had so much artistic talent? The completed murals appeared to be pretty spot-on, as per the picture guidelines we received. We were proud to ship out our work of arts to brighten up the walls of a hospital.
Our last Month of Service event was with the San Francisco Marin Food Bank. We had a chance to make it out there twice on the day and evening shifts. This food bank is unique as it is one of the few organizations that provide fresh produce. This accounts for 60% of the food that the bank distributes. Fresh produce has a short shelf life and it is with a heavy load of volunteers that the bank is able to provide this healthy option.
There is a constant need to give back, and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with colleagues on these efforts. We had a great time volunteering and will keeping the spirit going through the rest of the year and into the next.
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