Read a book a month. Eat better. Take up pottery. Ride your bike to work.
These are just some of the New Year’s resolutions we may make at the start of each year. However, at Vectorworks, we also want to continue the great work we did in 2021.
Each year, Vectorworks team members are given the opportunity to help their communities and gain new perspectives through volunteering. Biplab Sarkar, Vectorworks CEO, said, “For companies like ours, employing people from various communities is good. But actually doing something for these communities is even better. It warms your heart when you give back!”
In this post, we’ll take a look at how some Vectorworks employees will spend their Volunteer Time Off (VTO) in 2022.
Vectorworks Volunteering in 2022
One of the Vectorworks team’s favorite volunteering destinations is the Maryland Food Bank, where many employees have served in the past. Kyle Sutton, software engineer, has taken several trips to the Maryland Food Bank, and plans to serve there again in 2022.
Vectorworks employees on their most recent trip to the Maryland Food Bank.
“Food insecurity has become more prevalent in our community in recent years, thus making the work of the Maryland Food Bank even more important. It’s gratifying to spend my time there contributing towards a worthwhile cause,” said Sutton
Vectorworks employees on their most recent trip to the Maryland Food Bank.
And while Vectorworks employees love to work at Maryland Food Bank, many are excited to use their VTO to support other causes too.
Jen Hart, for example, is looking forward to serving the needs of veterans through the Roots for Boots organization. Our academic marketing programs specialist said, “This group and their cause are important to me because my dad is a Vietnam veteran. I appreciate Roots for Boots and the work that they do to support veterans.”
The way each Vectorworks employee chooses to spend their VTO time is unique to their own experiences and passions. Greysen Brockbanak, a media production specialist, uses his time to coach a youth soccer team, continuing his passion for the sport he played in college.
Janet Coppage, on the other hand, serves at her local polling station each November — a passion she attributes to her mother’s involvement in local politics. Coppage, an employee experience specialist, spoke about her passion for American democracy: “It’s important to me help preserve one of the most basic rights of our democracy. I look forward to November 2022 when we’ll do it all again!”
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of employees’ volunteer work is how it allows everyone to directly help their own communities.
Tabitha Harvey, accountant, serves her hometown through Gaithersburg Help. “Knowing that the little I do when I volunteer will spark hope in someone’s day motivates me to serve as a volunteer,” Harvey said.
Helping our Communities by Volunteering
Not all Vectorworks employees, however, live in and around Maryland. We’re fortunate enough to have teammates all over the world. And, because of this, we’re also fortunate enough to serve a wide array of communities.
Katarina Ollikainen, a Vectorworks landscape specialist, does some great work in the United Kingdom. In 2022 Ollikainen will be working with The Honeypot Children’s Charity.
This UK-based charity provides a respite for children that have to care for family members, giving them a chance to simply be kids. Ollikainen said, “Kids who have to take care of family are very isolated from their surroundings, they have to put someone else first at all times. They’re missing their childhood. Anything we can do to help is a plus!”
Another Vectorworks family member, Christopher Corbell, has the unique opportunity to do important conservancy work in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. In 2022, Corbell will continue to combat the effects of climate change on the natural beauty of his home state.
Corbell serving for Cascade Forest Conservancy.
Our software engineer said, “Volunteering with the Cascade Forest Conservancy gives me the chance to do something hands-on. Planting trees, preparing old-growth forests to survive wildfires and prescribed burns, and habitat restoration projects for threatened species are all part of combatting climate change and preserving the wildlife that it threatens.”
Community service is integral to our company culture at Vectorworks. Employees also like to give their time to Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland and Arlington National Cemetery, as well!
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Source : Vectorworks.net