At TELUS International, “We give where we live” is the motto we work by and the philosophy we aim to blend into our day to day activities. Our team members believe in contributing to make the world a better place and TELUS Days of Giving, our annual one day volunteer events hosted around the world, are just one of the ways we give back to the communities where we live, work and serve. It is our commitment to lend a helping hand to those in need, by devoting our hearts and hands for causes we are passionate about.
What started as a one-time event in Manila in 2007 has grown into one of the most important traditions in our company and has blossomed into yearly events across every region where TELUS International operates. Our team members’ individual efforts are multiplied by working together to build schools from the ground up, build entire villages and refurbish youth centers, as a few examples. In 2018, over 12,000 TELUS International team members participated in TELUS Days of Giving events around the globe.
Romania is no exception. Since 2013, we have contributed to seven communities across the country: with colleagues volunteering for Pinocchio and Ciresarii placement centers in Bucharest; public schools in Ferentari and Plopsor Village in Dolj; the HOSPICES of Hope Social-Medical Center in Adunatii-Copaceni (for two consecutive years), and the Buftea Community Center with Habitat for Humanity in 2018 and 2019. To date, more than 2,000 team members have volunteered over 15,000 hours at our local TELUS Days of Giving.
For the last two years, the TELUS Days of Giving events in Romania have been dedicated to our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, aimed to facilitate easier access to education and social care as a means for a better future for children in need. The 2018 and 2019 TELUS Days of Giving events had 600 TELUS International team members volunteer at the construction of the Buftea Community Center—a center dedicated to 200 underprivileged children from the local community, which will provide access to educational support and help prevent school absenteeism.
Given that these youth are at risk of school dropout due to the social and economic challenges impacting their families, the Community Center built with the help of the TELUS International volunteers will offer after-school activities, workshops, hot meals and psychological counseling for 50 children daily and educational activities for more than 150 disadvantaged children every year. The Center’s activities will fulfill the children’s needs, in addition to improving the school curricula, thus ensuring the decrease of school absenteeism and establishing a safe and friendly environment where children can spend their time. Once completed, the Hercules Association, a non-profit organization with the mission to combat poverty and social problems in the community, will oversee the facility maintenance and programming.
During the two TELUS Days of Giving events in Buftea, volunteers prepared the concrete, fortified the beams for sustaining the concrete reinforcement, painted and fireproofed the structural wood elements of the roof, plastered the interior walls, and prepared the wood panels for the rooftop. TELUS International invested €102.000 for these two editions of TELUS Days of Giving, with €88,000 as a direct donation for the center’s construction.
And we will continue to focus our efforts on such initiatives, by staying true to our commitment of working together, hearts and hands, for the greater good while nurturing hope and faith in the challenged communities. We hope you will join us!
An article by Luisa Grigore, Director for Brand, Marketing & Culture at TELUS International Romania.