Connecting with Communities: Celebrate Diversity Month and National Volunteer Week 2022

With co-prosperity and people at the heart of Samsung’s values, the company continues to strive for a diverse and inclusive workforce that promotes service at every level. April is annually recognized as Celebrate Diversity Month and honors National Volunteer Week from April 17-23, 2022 to acknowledge those building a better future within various communities.

National Volunteer Week was initiated in 1974 by Points of Light, an organization dedicated to volunteer service. With exponentially more service projects, special events and community involvement each year, National Volunteer Week is a great opportunity to honor the invaluable actions that create positive change and raise awareness within communities and organizations. For the past three years, Samsung employees have logged over 6,100 Volunteer Time Off hours to support their communities, and more than 2,700 employees have participated in the company’s Day of Service activities to give back across the country.

In a similar effort to recognize those making up diverse communities nationwide, Celebrate Diversity month was established in 2004 to encourage a deeper understanding and appreciation for others. This month offers an opportunity to learn about the different ways that diversity can be integrated on a daily basis, including recognizing the impact of implicit biases and asking questions to form new relationships in various communities. With six different employee resource groups, Samsung continually strives to create a safe and inclusive environment that celebrates the similarities and differences making up the company’s workforce.

We sat down with three employees to discuss how volunteerism and inclusivity create a lasting, positive impact on not only communities and organizations, but the individual making these helpful contributions as well.

“The most important aspect of volunteering is touching people’s lives, even if it is for a short time.  An individual may seem to be a small part of the effort, but the larger group of employees and citizens outside of work are collectively making a larger impact through their service to others. Getting involved to learn more about someone or a diverse group is eye-opening in the struggles they may be facing and the challenges they may have had to overcome, which we may be taking for granted. The volunteers may be often at a vantage position to effectively help and improve someone’s situation.” –Tariq Hasan, Senior Professional, Supply Chain & Business Planning, B2B

“Volunteering allows the opportunity to connect with your community and make a real difference to the lives of those in need. We all at times may formulate opinions about a person and their situation without knowing their full story. Volunteering is a humbling experience that affords the opportunity to interact and better understand the circumstances that may have placed someone in a position of need.  Volunteering directs us to focus on advocating for change and to empower and encourage those underserved, so that they can reach their full potential.”  –Charlene Gairey, Senior Professional, Total Rewards Benefits

“For me, the most meaningful part of volunteering is connecting with others and understanding the needs in my community through hands-on experience. Volunteering puts my own needs into perspective and helps to shine a light on how much individuals have to offer the world around us. By volunteering, we have an opportunity to routinely step into experiences we may not be familiar with and interact with people whose circumstances and experiences may be different than our own. I have learned about the needs in my community that I may not have otherwise understood if it weren’t for serving with organizations who work tirelessly every day to address those issues.” – Angela Bader, Senior Professional, Corporate Citizenship

As April comes to an end, Samsung is continuing to engage in volunteer activities that create meaningful change in diverse communities throughout the year. The company is dedicated to pioneering positive social impact through acts of service that encourage people to think about surrounding communities outside our organization and empower those who are underrepresented or may not always have a voice.

Employees from the DC office use their VTO to give back at the Capital Area Food Bank.

Amit Patel, 5G Test intern, Justine Catli, Networks Engineering intern, and Alana Gomez-Solis, Corporate Communications intern, gathered together to clean up around their school, Rutgers University.

During Samsung's 2021 Week of Service, Mark Newton built a solar-charging kit for mobile phones. Kits were also donated to a 2021 Solve for Tomorrow top 10 school for students to build on their own.

Pictured from Left to right: Rafael De Ory, Kanav Goyal, and Xiao Yang pack plums for the Second Harvest Food Bank in California during the 2019 Samsung Intern Day of Service. Photo Credit: Jacky Nguyen

As part of Samsung Electronics America’s company-wide Day of Service, employees assemble 2,000 Comfort Kits for disaster victims with the American Red Cross.

Samsung Electronics America employees assist New Jersey Audubon Society with maintenance and repair of the organization’s handicap accessible trail in Franklin Lakes, NJ as part of a company-wide Day of Service.

Samsung Electronics America employees in Dallas, TX join North Texas Food Bank in their fight against hunger -- sorting, boxing and bagging food to benefit local residents as part of the company’s 8th Day of Service.

The company is humbled to have been consecutively awarded Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality and America’s Best Employers for Veterans in 2020 and 2021, and acknowledges the great deal of work still needed to be done. This year marks Samsung’s 12^th annual Week of Service, having donated over 145,000 hours nationwide since the Samsung Gives program launched in 2014. As the company furthers its commitment to driving positive change in communities, Samsung is eager to continue working together to build a better, more inclusive future for all.