Prologis Impact Day
WHO
MISSION
Organize IMPACT Day activities for 140 Prologis employees in Amsterdam within four weeks
HAPPY OUTCOMES
> Ensure a central kick-off location and 17 different volunteering projects within cycling distance in Amsterdam Noord
> Wide ranging selection of volunteer projects: practical jobs at petting farm het Dierendok, creating a vegetable garden at a care home for mentally disabled people, rejuvenating a children's playground, helping vulnerable people out with gardening activities in Tuindorp Oostzaan
> Facilitate lunch and a borrel to wrap up a successful day all together
THE STORY BEHIND
When Prologis reached out to us in April, asking for help in organizing their Amsterdam IMPACT Day activities, we had exactly four weeks to turn their 10th annual corporate day of volunteering into one to remember. Their request: set up one day in Amsterdam Noord, for 140 employees who where to be divided into small groups with a choice of different volunteer projects at cycling distance. Short time-frame to organize, but feasible. Challenge accepted! Time to grab a city map, a list of all our project partners and start putting our heads together to work out a project plan. One week before the event everything was set in stone (little did we know back then that two of our volunteering partners would have to cancel last minute, but with some additional sweat and tears we still got the job done :-)).
AN IMPACT DAY TO REMEMBER
Friday, 13th May, 09:00. After a joint kick-off with coffee, tea and cake, the time had come to put smiles on the faces of fellow Amsterdammers. Prologis employees divided themselves across the different volunteer projects and set off to make a positive impact. Throughout the day, colourful pictures of hardworking hands, first achievements and plenty of smiles flood in through whatsapp. Team work makes the dream work, is how the saying goes and that’s exactly what happened as Prologis’ employees set about:
- Making a public children’s playground shine again by repainting, re-sanding and relandscaping it
- Building a welcome kiosk at a petting farm
- Clearing, tending and summer-proofing the gardens of vulnerable people
- Surprising residents at a mentally disabled centre with delicious pancakes
- Helping with craft therapy sessions with mentally disabled people
- Transforming a wilderness into a beautiful picking and experience garden at the disabled centre
Thanks a lot Prologis for all your hard efforts and making this Impact Day a day to remember!
Waterbikes and trash
It’s Wednesday morning. With trash pickers in my car, I head over to the Sloterplas. Today marks the end of a series of volunteering initiatives by the Equinix company.
“I’m not dumping trash if that’s what you might think,” I say, while I throw the bag of instruments over the high fence. “Today a company will pick trash from the Sloterplas on water bikes and I’m delivering their tools.”
“How wonderful you’re doing this!” says one person from the group of elderly people that is doing a work-out. I grab the next bag and try to toss it over the fence as professional as possible while the group gazes at me.
“Actually, I think it’s ridiculous that a company has to clean up after other people. They should do it themselves,” an older woman says.
I get what she’s saying, and I agree. However, aren’t we constantly busy fixing the problems that are caused by people, governments or companies who don’t take responsibility? Do we not give love or help where this should be evidently present, but is missing?
I go on with my day. I work, I budget, I meet and around 13:00 I go back to the Sloterplas to pick up the gear I left and to hear how it went.
The team is happy; the company collected a lot of waste on their water bikes and proudly show the result. And the trophy of the day is… a bike! They pulled an entire bicycle out of the Sloterplas.
This company took its responsibility by doing something good for society for four months in a row. They recuperated a playground in a deprived area in Amsterdam North, they helped out in the garden for someone who couldn’t maintain it, they gave the nature playground in Amsterdam West new benches and tables and last but not least: they made the Sloterplas a bit cleaner.
I drive away from the job, and I come to the following conclusion: “Giving love, doing chores or cleaning up the earth together is always a good idea.”
Are you interested in joining an inspiring teambuilding event? Just contact us:
Phone: 020 2440272
Email: [email protected]
Adam Helpt and Colgate team up to raise awareness about World Cleanup Day
This year’s symbol of support for World Cleanup Day was demonstrated by putting one’s fingers up to make a “W”. It reverberated the need to create a world without waste and stressed the important role we all have to play to make this a reality.
For a company such as Colgate, sustainability is a core part of the business as it seeks to continuously develop innovative products for the health and wellbeing of its consumers. As a result, the company decided to partner with Adam Helpt, who designed a custom volunteer initiative in line with its sustainability goals and CSR policy called Colgate Smile for Good.
So, on a bright and sunny 19th September Colgate and Adam Helpt brought on board outstanding influencers Yara Michels, Nina Pierson, Grow Thinkers, and Stephanie van den Sigtenhorst also known as Letstalkslow to join them in the clean-up initiative, which took place at Zeilschool Sloterplas.
Following an in-depth briefing by Brigitte Vonck-Makkinje, Company Coordinator at Adam Helpt, the four influencers geared up. Armed with rubbish bags, grabber sticks, and gloves, they took to the water on the paddle bikes and canoes to clean up the rubbish.
They also took time out to capture and share how they were spending their day on their social media pages, in an effort to drive awareness around the issue particularly in the Netherlands, and educate their followers on steps they could take every day, to improve the environment they live in.
From collecting plastic bottles, paper bags to even fishing out a yoga mat, the influencers were astounded at the amount of rubbish they were able to collect from such a small area, reinforcing their commitment to doing what they can to caring for the environment. At the end of the clean-up, all four influencers spent some time talking with Adam Helpt learning more about the current state of affairs on matters of waste and how we can all care for the environment by cleaning up and disposing of waste in the right manner.
In the country at large, Plastic Soup Foundation and NederlandSchoon led the Netherlands in joining 180 countries in the largest worldwide clean-up event of the year and its efforts saw the country collect over 120,000 waste items in one day.
This initiative echoed a saying that reads, “small steps every day can lead to big changes in the long run”. If we can all take it as our own individual responsibility to care for the environment through the small steps we take such as throwing an empty plastic bottle in the bin instead of on the ground, we will be able to enjoy the benefits of a cleaner world without waste
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more updates on our activities.
Would you like to volunteer, participate as a company in a fun and valuable project, let us know via [email protected] or call 020 2440272. Together we make the difference.
Written by Beatrice
Adam Helpt unveils new logo and reinforces its commitment to social change
What is in a logo and why is it important? These are two questions that have been answered for years. To put it simply, the main purpose of a logo is for identity. Over the years though, it has come to mean much more as it is also representative of an organization’s principles and what it stands for in the community it operates in.
Over the past couple of months, we have all felt the impact of the pandemic in one way or another and if there is one thing we are constantly learning this year, it is the importance of having a purpose and being intentional in how we live our lives and conduct business. It has challenged us to be more cognizant of the less fortunate in our society and help in any way we can and the significance of being part of a community.
Being an organization that is at the heart of the Amsterdam community, dedicated to improving the lives of the vulnerable people through social activities, we believe it is crucial that this should be equally reflected in our visual branding outlook, accurately capturing our mission and vision, to bring about social change in the city through our work by cultivating a volunteering movement.
As a result, in March 2020, Adam Helpt launched its newly redesigned logo and revamped the website. However, given the ongoing pandemic, we intentionally chose to delay communicating this change. Instead, we focused on ramping up our efforts through the various community projects to ensure we took care of those who needed us more, the most vulnerable. We believed that took precedence and none of the amazing work and difference we have made in the lives of many would ever be possible without the support of our stakeholders.
Our first step as we commenced this project was the redesign of our logo to better represent who Adam Helpt is and what it stands for. Given the significance of the logo to the organization, we strategically chose to go with a minimalist yellow and blue circle made up of three intertwined strands for a few reasons.
It represents the three organizations Serve the City, Stichting Present, and Adam Helpt who continuously work together to organize social projects to support the vulnerable and less fortunate people in our society. It also represents strength as it is only by working together can we strengthen each other and foster a thriving volunteer movement. The yellow and blue colours epitomize our optimism to create together a positive impact and commitment to that mission and the trustworthy partner we are evidenced by the strong connections we have in the community.
In line with the minimalist, clean approach was the revamping of our website, turning it into an online space where we could efficiently communicate and connect with our stakeholders: corporate organizations, individuals and social organizations, clearly demonstrate Adam Helpt’s social mission, the impact we create and the way we work.
It was also aimed and making us easily available to inform, educate, and collaborate with our on various projects we undertake as well as develop bespoke projects and strategies for companies in line with their objectives.
We deeply appreciate the hard work of our volunteers, who constantly offer their knowledge, time, and effort to make the work we do a success. It is a testament to the greatness we can achieve if work together for a great purpose.
For this project especially, we take a moment to recognize the amazing work of the following people:
- Jill Vanoncini – Project Lead and content creation
- Mateo Valla – Strategy revision
- Pelinsu Yalçınsoy – UX designer and web creator
- Anna Kocherga - Logo creator and web design
- Vishal Lal – Web Developer
- Jennifer Nunez – Content creation
- Vaishali Lakhanpal – Content creation
- Jackie Wilson – Content revision EN
- Anastasia Aseeva – Photos
- Andrew Rogers - Translator
- Nienke Vermeulen - Translation
This team went above and beyond our expectations to make this project a success and we truly are grateful for their efforts.
Going forward, we are working on enhancing our social media pages to ensure we share relevant updates on our activities and connect with our audiences for a wonderful and fulfilling experience. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, share your suggestions on how we can improve as well as your feedback on our projects.
If you would like to volunteer, take part in a great community project as a company, let us know via [email protected] or call 020 2440272. Together we will make a difference.
Written by: Beatrice Thumi
A sunny outing on a rainy day
A sunny outing on a rainy day
On Thursday 20th February volunteers from de Zoncorporatie visited Kadoelerbreek, an assisted living home in Amsterdam Noord, where they helped to paint the corridors and also joined 20 residents on a bus trip through the Dutch countryside. De Zoncorporatie is a relatively young company that provides solar panels and LED lighting to housing corporations, and this marked their first volunteer project. They have arranged fundraisers before, but this time almost the whole company went out to help with only one person staying behind to look after their office. Nik from de Zoncorporatie explained that they chose this project because it was in line with their company ethics.
Kadoelerbreek was in need of a fresh coat of paint; the white walls were clearly marked due to the everyday comings and goings in the home, with the lower parts getting especially scuffed and dirty due to the use of trolleys and wheelchairs. The team who stayed behind to paint worked hard to make everything look new again. In one afternoon they set one coat of paint down, cleaning at they went along. Luckily for Kadoelerbreek, one of the guys was also a plasterer who was able to repair a damaged section of the wall so even that part looked as good as new.
The group of volunteers and residents on the excursion were joined by our team from Adam Helpt and Adri and Natalie from the elderly home. On the bus volunteers and residents sat together chatting and getting to know each other. The volunteers helped the residents in and out of the bus and walked with them or pushed chairs. It was a drizzly day but the driver, Ron, took the scenic route driving through Monnickendam, Volendam and then Edam before eventually arriving at Simonehoeve. At Simonehoeve everyone first sat down for cake and drinks before moving onto the cheese-making room and the clog factory. There the residents and volunteers learned how cheese is made, as well as the history of Dutch clogs. This was followed by a cheese tasting and an opportunity to buy some traditional Dutch products.
Simonehoeve is a family business located about 15 minutes drive north of Amsterdam close to Volendam. Joke from Simonehoeve explained that during peak season they receive parties of tourists every day. But in off-peak times like now, they are very happy and able to look after groups like those from Kadoelerbreek and de Zoncorporatie.
All of the Kadoelerbreek residents looked happy and were enjoying the trip out. Adri explained that in the home itself it can be difficult for them to socialise, especially residents without family. The staff takes great care of them but sometimes residents miss the extra one-on-one attention that the volunteers were able to give them. This was the first time they had worked with such a large group of volunteers and beforehand Adri had concerns it might be too many people but actually it all worked very well. During the year, the staff at Kadoelerbreek arrange other excursions for the residents. One year they took the most mobile on a short holiday in the Ardennes but usually, it is small group trips to the seaside or the Dutch countryside. It is not possible for all the residents to get out or to stay away from the home for longer periods of time.
One of the residents said that she was indeed very happy to be out. She loves going on trips, her favourite would be to play mini-golf. She was definitely enjoying meeting new people and making friends even if only for that afternoon.
It was a very enjoyable afternoon. Everyone was happy with the help the volunteers from de Zoncorporatie, because of their work the halls now look as good as new, and the residents enjoyed a rare fun afternoon out.
We encourage you to read more about Adam Helpt and the CSR movement here.
Bringing Christmas joy
Bringing Christmas joy
There was excitement in the air when fifteen eager volunteers from an airline company gathered to help with Christmas preparations at The Vreugdehof. Starting from scratch, the energetic team decorated the whole space into an accommodation worthy of the residents’ Christmas celebrations. By the end of the night, the team had filled the main hall at the rehabilitation center with festivities, a fully decorated Christmas tree and signed cards for the elderly.
Who are the helpers?
The decorating team was made up of devoted members of the airline staff. Cabin crew, as well as ground staff, are involved in the company’s latest initiative to give back to the community. This initiative is handled by a sector specifically devoted to volunteering activities.
The coordinator from their community investors programme expressed gratitude at being among the first to adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) in The Netherlands. The team’s tasks consist of coordinating different social and volunteering activities across Amsterdam. The initiative also acts as a channel through which the company can devote both time and money to giving back to society.
He explains that their company specifically focuses on projects that favor teamwork as well as visible impact. “For us, it is important to see what we actually do, while being together as a team. Group activities act to build strength and power between us as a team while allowing us to give something back. Here at the centre for example, many clients don’t have neither friends nor families, and so us being here really makes a difference.”
Visible impact at the Vreugdehof
Rian Ridderhof, the project coordinator at the Vreugdehof, was impressed with having such a large group of people pitching in as it made the event more fun and efficient for everyone involved. The hall is one of the most important rooms at the centre. The main scene acts as host to a wide range of activities, including concerts, wheelchair dancing, and afternoon games.
The airline's help created time and space for staff at the centre to spend with patients. As Rian put it: “The people that live here are so ill they cannot stay in their own home. Given we are such a small group we want to make sure to give everyone enough time, both individually and in groups.”
The Vreugdehof is a rehabilitation and nursing centre that specializes in clients with physical handicaps and psychogeriatric conditions, with a majority of patients suffering from dementia. The centre hosts a relatively small group of 280 clients, with ages ranging from 70 up to 100.
Rian explained that volunteers are central to sustain the activities at the centre. Organizations mostly visit the centre twice a month, while it is common for individuals to join on a weekly basis. Activities range from creative tasks such as painting and singing lessons to physical activities like walking and yoga.
CSR on the rise
Linking companies to social organizations isn’t a fully established practice in the Netherlands yet, but it’s gaining more support in recent years. Up until now, individuals, not companies, have contributed the most to social work.
The helpers from the airline crew are among the early adopters of the CSR trend in the Netherlands. They highlight CSR as a positive trend that keeps evolving on all levels. The company is new to the Netherlands. Their coordinator attributes the focus on the charity they brought with them to their roots in the United States.
“We especially like that we can see results. We often do other forms of social work, including fundraising for projects but this is very different as we directly interact with the impact we are making.”
The Vreugdehof emphasized how happy they are to receive more help, with volunteers contributing to new perspectives that liven up the organization. They’re always looking for an extra hand.
Are you interested in getting involved with the Vreugdehof or another organization for a volunteer project? We encourage you to read more about Adam Helpt and the CSR movement here.
Building a Community
Building a Community
In the modern world of technology and business, volunteering for charitable causes often gets pushed to the sometimes never. We mean well, but sometimes life gets in the way. Taking the first step and making the decision to commit is, in itself, a huge one.
Fortunately, World Wide Technology (WWT) has overcome this barrier with its entire company! This US-based global company uses a proven and innovative approach to help large public and private organizations discover, evaluate, architect and implement advanced technology. Founded in 1990, WWT has grown from a small product reseller into a technology solution provider with $10.4 billion in annual revenue and more than 5,000 employees.
Using their annual volunteer “Day of Caring” provided to them by WWT, a team of Programme and Project Managers was determined to manage this project together. Allesandra Wang, being no stranger to volunteering, helped lead this team to fence-building victory at the Kinderboerderij Westerpark. She believes that “if everyone does a little bit, it makes a difference in the end.”
Willem Tesselar embodied the WWT values of, in his words, “believ[ing] in giving back” and truly enjoyed the project and “definitely” plans on doing another! The entire group truly did a lot of hard work and all pulled together to help each other fix up the petting zoo. From digging to hammering to sanding, this team really made the experience a success for everyone.
They did such a good job that René Van Morgen, a farmer who has been the assistant manager and Kinderboerderij for 1 year, was extremely appreciative of the help. He says that the volunteers from WWT help save a great deal of time and money for this small community petting zoo. These kind souls make it so that the zoo is able to protect both the children and the animals and make for a safe environment for all.
Every day there are more and more people who need help and in many different ways. If you’re looking for a volunteering opportunity that fits you or your organization, contact us at www.adamhelpt.nl and let us help you help others.
Gardening for Hope
Gardening for Hope
On a cool autumn day, this newly inducted team at Salesforce.org embarked on a selfless journey. Their first journey of many as this is just a start to the 56 volunteering hours per year the company provides to their employees. This group of people, who had met either for the first time on this project or maybe the last time a month ago, worked together to make a senior centre more clean and welcoming.
With gratitude in her eyes, Laurie – the centre’s organizer- described the activities and why they’re important: They allow families and their residents to connect, and sometimes reconnect due to Alzheimer’s, in simple but truly beautiful ways with their families. The garden is their pride and joy and they genuinely appreciate all of the hard work every single volunteer contributes.
In speaking with Nancy Refki, Employee Engagement Manager in EMEA, you could hear the excitement she has for working at a company that provides grants in education and workforce development and giving back to the community. Even though Nancy has only worked there for 6 months, she feels the culture and how much it is engrained in the company, no matter who they’re talking to. Nancy has a very clear vision and passion for what Salesforce.org’s goals are, namely “education and workforce development because it’s evident that… the gap between opportunities and the youth is widening”, as well as how they match up with hers and every employee.
Volunteer first-timer Claude Alquier, Account Executive from the Switzerland office, found so much happiness and energy from this experience that he not only helped this senior centre out with maximum effort but plans to include his wife in future volunteer activities! He sees these opportunities as a way not only for their company, but other companies throughout the world to “rethink your company for the future.”
Both Nancy and Claude also rave about Salesforce.org being born of their unique 1-1-1 model which focuses on giving back to the community. From vendors or partners to internal customers to external customers, the culture of this model shone throughout the entire group. They all touted (and wore shirts saying) what exactly volunteering has meant to them as well as being a part of a company that values it so highly.
Every day there are more and more people who need help and in many different ways. If you’re looking for a volunteering opportunity that fits you or your organization, contact us at www.adamhelpt.nl and let us help you help others.
Planting a better future
Planting a better future
The idea of nature being good for your mental health is anything but new - its benefits are known to range from relieving depression and stress to providing a general sense of well-being. Getting your hands dirty with gardening can be a great team activity that gets everyone involved.
It is no coincidence that Thomas Thor, leading recruitment agency in the nuclear industry, sought to get involved with a project that would generate positive energy: restructuring the garden at Center Kijkduin.
As Becky Riddle, Office Manager and undercover gardening talent puts it; “We were looking for something hands on, where we could really get out and work together as a team; this turned out to be a great fit for us as we are all about energy and people.”
Cordaan were equally happy for the help - ever since its beginning, Center Kijkduin has been a safe place where visitors come to relax, socialize and find community with others. Although it is open to everyone, a majority of regulars are people who have, or are currently, recovering from mental illness.
Starting from scratch, an afternoon of hard (but fun) work was all it took for the Thomas Thor office to completely transform the garden with a new landscape ready for blooming spring.
At the end of the day, the garden was completely transformed.
Connecting Thomas Thor to Cordaan
For Thea, organizer at Center Kijkduin, restoring the garden has been on the agenda for a while but the time and investment needed made it a difficult task to complete.
“We like shorter projects like this because they are easier for our visitors to handle. It’s important to find a good balance, where we can suit to the needs of regular visitors without overwhelming them."
The garden is appreciated by everyone at Center Kijkduin, both staff and visitors. As soon as the weather allows, it fills up with the bustle of daily life and exciting activities.
“It’s so important to do something with the garden. A project like this is positive for everyone involved and a beautiful garden helps to attract people to come out.”
Restructuring the garden had been on the agenda for a while.
Connecting to nature
“Just being near nature is something we often take for granted but really has immense impact on our mental health,” says Kasey, teacher and enthusiastic project leader who has always had a love for gardening. When drafting the project, the underlying incentive was to help everyone involved.
“Thea and I worked closely together to figure out what the top priorities were - we wanted to make the garden a place through which both regular visitors and the local community could benefit. Being around nature is a huge advantage for people with mental advantages. There are now countless studies to show its immediate effects.”
Getting involved with voluntary projects as this not only helps the immediate community and visitors of the community center; but also enforces the great benefits of team building. At the end of the day, we left Center Kijkduin with a smile on our faces, knowing that the work put in will benefit many visitors to come.
Why not stop by to see the result for yourself? Better yet - would you like to get involved on another project like this? See how you can help out the community in a way that fits your organization at www.adamhelpt.nl.