TORONTO, June 4, 2019 /CNW/ – Today, Citi kicks off its 14th annual Global Community Day in Toronto with Citi CEO Mike Corbat and 180 volunteers helping to preserve Tommy Thompson Park, a manmade conservation area, through planting activities. In the days leading up to, and including Global Community Day, more than 100,000 Citi volunteers in more than 450 cities across 90 countries and territories will participate in service activities in their local communities. Citi employees, alumni, partners, clients, family and friends are volunteering in more than 1,500 service projects that are helping to address a range of community needs, from packing meals for hungry families to conserving parks to educate people about the value of protecting healthy and sustainable ecosystems. In Canada, Citi will see 1,000 volunteers participate in 18 events in Toronto, Mississauga, London, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.
This annual day of service offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities to work alongside community and non-profit partners to help improve our cities and neighborhoods. Many of the youth involved with Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative are also participating in volunteer events globally.
“Every day, we take pride in having a business model that contributes to society by enabling growth and economic progress. Now in its 14th year, Global Community Day offers our Citi colleagues around the world the opportunity to pursue this mission through volunteerism,” said Citi CEO Mike Corbat. “The enormous turnout we see every year is a great reflection on our people and shows their sincere commitment to the communities we serve.”
Since the inaugural Global Community Day in 2006, Citi volunteers have contributed more than 4,000,000 hours of service to Global Community Day projects in hundreds of cities. This year, we continue to track how these projects are helping to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The featured activities below show how this year’s projects are contributing to select SDGs, including: Zero Hunger (SDG 2); Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3); Quality Education (SDG 4); Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8); Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11); and Climate Action (SDG 13).
ASIA PACIFIC
- In China, Citi volunteers are making care packages and hand-painting shoes for underserved children in the Yunnan Province.
- Aligning their efforts with Pathways to Progress, Citi volunteers in Sydney, Australia will plan a series of workshops to help youth develop career aspirations, enhance their employability skills, and succeed in a competitive job market.
- In the Philippines, Citi volunteers are addressing environmental and social issues by creating recycled plastic bottle “eco bricks,” which will be used in public school building projects, and promoting equality and inclusion by walking alongside Paralympic athletes.
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
- In London, United Kingdom, Citi volunteers are holding a Sports Festival Day to harness the power of sport as a developmental tool for young people to promote long-term active habits, improved wellbeing and employability skills.
- In an effort to improve air quality in Warsaw, Poland for low-income and vulnerable communities, Citi employees will be planting anti-smog plants and mini herb gardens.
- Building on the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress partnership with the International Rescue Committee, employees in Amman, Jordan will be using their skills to mentor young refugees and low-income Jordanian youth on finance, marketing, and sales.
LATIN AMERICA
- To positively impact the lives of youth through learning activities aimed at increasing knowledge in financial education and employability skills, Citi volunteers in El Salvador are partnering with Glasswing International.
- Focusing their efforts on neighborhood revitalization, Citi volunteers in Bogota, Colombia will be painting colorful murals in a local urban community. The largest of the murals, a butterfly, will stand as a symbol for new beginnings.
- Citibanamex volunteers in Mexico are participating in a range of activities to help disadvantaged populations, including running a national food drive and assisting Paralympic athletes.
NORTH AMERICA
- Citi CEO Mike Corbat joins Citi volunteers in Toronto, Canadahelping to preserve a manmade conservation park through planting activities.
- Across New York City, Citi volunteers are engaging in a range of activities across the five boroughs including clearing debris and preparing plant beds, mentoring young people, packing food and building bikes for children from underserved communities.
- Citi volunteers in Los Angeles County are working on a landscape project in partnership with Homes4Families (formerly Habitat for Humanity – Santa Clarita) on an enriched neighborhood project for low-income veterans.
Please join the Global Community Day conversation on social media using the hashtag #CitiVolunteers. To learn more about Citi’s citizenship efforts in Canada in 2018 visit https://www.citigroup.com/canada/en/community/public-accountability.html and for how we take action to effect positive and meaningful change in our communities globally, visit https://www.citigroup.com/citi/about/citizenship/.
