This 6 June marks the 21st edition of Telefónica’s International Volunteering Day, a day when the Telefónica family joins forces to help reduce the digital divide, improve the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations, build a future of possibilities for children and many other causes.
Leisure, inclusive sports, environmental, educational and technological activities with different types of organisations are some of the proposals for this event.
Volunteers: the soul of Telefónica
Colleagues from different countries demonstrate their commitment to this very special day with their testimonials in this article about volunteers as the soul of the company.
Liliana Flores from Mexico sums it up as follows: ‘These are moments that transform you,’ referring to a day that ‘represents much more than a date: it is a form of recognition, inspiration and motivation.’
For her part, Mónica Conde from Spain defines DIVT as ‘an unmissable annual event’ that ‘once you try it, you want to repeat it.’ In her specific case, she focuses on bringing technology to older people.
Armando Apolinar, from Venezuela, is conclusive in his definition of this day: ‘Helping others allows me to establish a unique connection with different sectors of society and the environment; it’s something bigger than yourself.’
Finally, Nicole Prüße from Germany recounts her experience with the perspective that participating in the DIVT ‘fosters empathy, strengthens community ties and generates moments of mutual inspiration.’
Volunteering as a way to change the course of life
Alberto Alfonso Pordomingo is emphatic: ‘Volunteering changed the course of my life,’ as stated in an article in which this Telefónica Spain colleague points to his experiences during solidarity holidays in Ecuador and Peru as a turning point in his life.
With almost three decades of involvement with Telefónica Volunteers, Pordomingo describes the people who are part of this programme as ‘dedicated, endearing and committed to helping wherever they are needed’.
Such is his level of commitment to volunteering that ‘whenever I leave the Volunteer team or one of our volunteer programmes ends, I am overcome by the same feeling of longing, a feeling of vulnerability, of being alone and helpless,’ he confesses.
‘You feel alone, like a drop in the ocean,’ he concludes after reviewing his collaborations with different initiatives, such as working with children with disabilities, food drives and participating as a volunteer telemarketer for the Gala Inocente.
The importance of volunteering in companies
Our colleague Jennifer Machado believes that volunteering ‘not only benefits those who receive help, but also strengthens the community and creates a sense of belonging.’
Likewise, from another perspective, she also considers it ‘an excellent way to improve team morale’ as well as offering ‘unique opportunities for employees to develop new skills and strengthen existing ones, such as teamwork, communication and leadership.’
Machado therefore invites us to ‘reflect on how we can integrate volunteering into our corporate culture and our teams, and to lead and support our employees in their desire to contribute to social well-being’.
Theatre as an educational resource
Another DIVT proposal is something innovative: theatre as an educational resource in a workshop to learn practical strategies related to digital skills.
A theatre-workshop for families that combines humour with digital and educational tools that does not seek to minimise problems but to make them accessible and approachable through empathy.
