“Helping other is the way we help ourselves”
– Oprah Winfrey
Despite how tough the past two years have been, we’ve discovered as a human race, that when we help others, we’re really helping ourselves. To put it more poetically, when the tide rises, it lifts all boats.
Impact 2021, we grew 60% in team member size and opened offices in Tacloban, Merida, and Cape Town. And as we expanded, our community projects and impact initiatives also multiplied. Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to do a little roundup of some of the most important achievements from this past year. We’re happy to share with you our Community Impact Highlights 2021!
Impact 2021 In Numbers
Our year in numbers looks like this:
- 28 partner organizations
- 4736 volunteer hours
- 63,596 impacted lives
- 81,000 USD monetary donations
- 25 impact projects:
- Three Food Fairs.
- Community Pantry Support, supporting numerous pantries in the Philippines.
- Two Boldr Challenges: Biking Challenge for One Child PH, and Exercise Challenge for Red de Acompañamiento Yucatán.
- Webinar series for teachers.
- Webinar for Job applicants.
- Three Projects in South Africa: Mandela Day, Sustainable Period Products, and Clothing Drive for Red Cross Hospital.
- UN Day Celebration.
- Learning Hub Support: 3 locations in Streetlight Tacloban, Baseco Manila, and Taytay Rizal.
- 12 team member projects.
You can view all this in our 2021 report.
But these numbers don’t tell the whole story. Here’s a deeper dive into all of our impact initiatives.
From Our Impact Team
Impact is our purpose. This is why our impact team is one of the most important hubs inside the Boldr family. This year, they have been working incredibly hard to bring different projects to life, making every single one of us proud. These are some of the ones they led this year:
Streetlight
Through the Boldr/Streetlight E-Learning Hub, we supported 197 children and teens by covering monthly administrative costs, which applied for school supplies, tutoring fees, government benefits, and Internet allowance for students.
One Child
One Child is a beneficiary of our Boldr Outdoor Bike Challenge. Our team members biked 5,109 km, equivalent to $5,109 USD in donations! This money will help support the needs of 50 Dumagat and Tagalog children in San Juan del Monte, Bulacan from December 2021 to December 2022.
Food Fair
Our chefs showcased their culinary skills and donated to causes they advocate for. Our first edition fed 30 people on the streets and provided hygiene and essential products. The second edition supported the weekend feeding programs for kids in Laguna.
Impact Initiatives From Boldranians
Like we’ve already mentioned, we’re impact-driven souls. And kindred spirits have a tendency to find each other. Each Boldr team member can propose and pursue his/her/their own impact project, supported by the Impact, other team members, and the rest of the company.
The cherry on top? 48% of 2021’s impact initiatives were led by impact-driven Boldranians. This means that out of our 25 worldwide impact projects, 12 of them came from kind-hearted and caring team members.
In Mexico
Furry Friends In Need
Around 800 million dogs share our world. 300 million of them are “homeless.” Mexico has the largest population of stray dogs in Latin America, with estimates ranging between 15 and 18 million dogs living without human owners. Born as strays or abandoned by their human companions, Mexican streets almost always feature neglected and forsaken canines rummaging for food or seeking shelter. Our team members, aware of this situation, decided to help Hogar Colitas MID and Gladys Perez Shelter. Both shelters, located in Merida, put in their every effort to rescue and help stray animals. They provide medical attention, food, and ultimately help find them a forever home.
To help them out, our team members organized a local donation, rounding up food, bowls, leashes and collars, grooming and cleaning agents, and trash bags. The support was significant for both shelters since the donations were useful for their day-to-day needs. We’re animal lovers, so this project was very special and close to our hearts. At Boldr the majority of us have pets who we love (we even have a Slack channel where we post pictures of them!), so we are extremely sensitive when it comes to our furry friends.
Slack Channel: Boldr Pets
Endorphin Rush
Boldr Exercise Challenge
During August, our team members exercised for a cause. It not only made us move more (and help us become healthier), but through it, we also raised $800 USD! This money was donated to Red de Acompañamiento Yucatan, an organization that helps prevent harassment and violence suffered by women in public spaces in Merida, Mexico.
Using MMA To Help Youth
It’s a scientific fact: exercise plays a big role in reducing stress and improving your health. Using sports to help people, especially youth, has proven to be an effective tool in keeping them from falling into a cycle of anti-social behavior. With that in mind, we sponsored the training of two Mexican students who would otherwise be unable to afford mixed martial arts classes. The trainees, aged 20 and 23 respectively, attended free classes for a month. Sports are essential to the formation of young people, and thanks to Christian’s efforts, these kids could both unwind and learn a new sport.
In South Africa
A Special Day For Children
“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.”
Our team member, Christelle September, is very passionate about making a difference for the kids in the Elsies River area – a place where sadly, it is very common to find people with substance abuse problems. Lots of kids who live there have parents with addiction issues who aren’t able to provide for them properly. Those same kids are pushed to join gangs as an only option to be able to receive food every day. This is the main reason why Christelle decided to propose this impact project, in which we handed out snack packs and hygiene essentials for kids. We reached 100 kids in the Elsies River area, who were really grateful for all the love and support.
If we can say one thing about Christelle it’s that we’re extremely proud of her hard work and commitment to the cause. She has also participated in several projects to help kids in South Africa on her own. The most recent one was a Christmas lunch on Christmas day! She’s an amazing Boldranian with a huge heart and the courage to help others.
In The Philippines
Community Pantry For Families in Infanta
115 families in the municipality of Infanta, Pangasinan received support from a community pantry organized by Lorie Quetua’s family. The Infanta Community Pantry in Pangasinan provided grocery packs to 60 tricycle and pedicab drivers.
“People here rely mainly on fishing and planting vegetables in their backyards, so this rainy season is a huge concern to them. A community pantry even this small is already a big help to the families.” – Lorilie Quetua
Our work in supporting the Community Pantries is far from over. We will continue to channel our donors’ generous contributions to existing pantries across the Philippines. If you want to know more about our community pantry efforts, visit our blog. To support, please go to our fundraising campaign.
COVID Can’t Stop Us
COVID has affected all of us in one way or another. And 3 families in Iloilo were no exception. Sadly, all members tested positive for COVID at the same time, which meant that they weren’t able to go to work. This, in turn, resulted in them not having any income whatsoever for at least 15 days. We decided to step in, providing financial support, medicine, COVID tests, and daily expenses for all 3 of them as they underwent quarantine.
Lifelong Learners To The Rescue
Education was one of the most affected sectors by COVID-19. Students of all ages and countries faced issues with tuition, the Internet, and access to technology. Since we’re a community of lifelong learners (okay, okay, maybe even geeks), we want everyone to have the opportunity to study, learn, and achieve their goals. This is why during 2021 we helped students continue their education through financial assistance and donations.
- A second-year student for a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education at the City College of San Jose Del Monte received a full semester’s tuition from us.
- We provided financial assistance for a student’s laptop fundraising. She’s in her fourth year at the Philippine Normal University studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science Education.
- We held an outreach program for Dinigman Elementary School in General Nakkar, Quezon. The school, located in an isolated area, is attended by around 140 children from the Dumagat group. Our team, Marissa Dela Cruz donated school supplies, toys, food, and health kits. This donation contributed to purchasing printer ink, bond paper, pens, and record books for the teachers as well.
- We provided 25 reams of bond paper for Moonwalk National High School, used for student module printing.
- Access is key: we supplied 1 month’s worth of mobile data, used to address the learning needs of 30 students in Guinayang National High School.
Investing in education is investing in our future. We’re thrilled to have been able to help – in any way we could – to make that future brighter.
What Can We Expect From 2022?
There is so much more in store for our impact projects. We are always on the lookout for new ways to help, and 2022 won’t be any different. Making a positive impact is one of our core functions, we will strive to become a positive influence for our communities, clients, and coworkers. Everything we accomplished this year was thanks to the team effort. So a huge shout out to everyone involved. Every single one of you helped us grow this 2021, lifting the tide and making all others rise!
Want to learn more about driving social impact in this industry? Interested in making a change? Send us a message and let us know!
