At VMware, we believe everyone has something unique to contribute to society. Our culture of service influences the way we interact with others – inside and outside of work. As such, we are all Citizen Philanthropists, empowered to support what is most meaningful to us through VMware Foundation programs. VMware’s culture of service is a key pillar of the equity outcomes of VMware’s 2030 Agenda, as Citizen Philanthropy provides equal access to VMware’s charitable resources for all VMware people around the world.
Every VMware employee is eligible for 40 paid hours of Service Learning each year to contribute their time and talents in their communities. We are excited to share the stories below as part of our Summer of Service Learning initiative, through which VMware colleagues globally have been sharing their Service Learning stories, inspiring other colleagues to get involved with their own nonprofits of choice.
To bring VMware Foundation programs such as Service Learning to life, employee-led groups called Giving Networks inspire VMware colleagues (in their teams, sites, locations, regions, countries, etc.) to take action in their communities. As Giving Network members, people embody VMware’s EPIC2 values and leadership, demonstrating how we can all learn and grow personally and professionally through service.
This month we checked in with Meera Mudugal and Anumoy Sengupta, two active members of the Enterprise Data & Analytics (EDA) Giving Network, to learn more about each of their Service Learning experiences.
Meera Mudugal, Senior Manager – EDA Support & Enablement:
I have been a part of the VMware community for over 13 years and am proud to be an active participant in many VMware Foundation programs. One nonprofit I regularly support is Team Everest, which is one of India’s leading nonprofits supporting students in rural communities with education and basic amenities. They were a pioneer in engaging with volunteers across India, and our Giving Network engaged with team members from Team Everest to support the development of educational models for students in our local community.
VMware’s culture of service allows me to fulfill my duty to society – which I view as my extended family and friends. Our culture at VMware includes both learning and action. A good example is recruiting people with unique needs and allowing all employees to focus on choice and flexibility with their opportunities here. Our company’s leaders have been quite open to fresh suggestions for helping the community and ensuring we are supported through their implementation.
One of the first Service Learning opportunities I took part in was organizing a summer camp for visually impaired girls in my community, where we assisted them with reading and writing exercises. I was so proud when I saw the impact of the work done by our group of VMware volunteers. After that small amount of time, I saw first-hand how sharing knowledge can change the lives of others to a large extent. Every time we support those in need, it makes us more humble and allows us to realize how privileged and fortunate we are.
Anumoy Sengupta, Senior Business Analyst Data Sciences:
I started at VMware over 4 years ago and have been active with VMware Foundation programs for most of my time here, especially with Service Learning activities in my community. Recently, our Giving Network approached multiple local nonprofits to see how we could support them, and Team Everest turned out to be an excellent fit for the skillsets of our team for a crafting activity. We developed lots of beautiful models with papers and boards, including dolls, tools, flowers, fish, numbers, etc., which the nonprofit was able to use for their programming with local students.
I really appreciate VMware’s culture of service and the opportunity for all VMware people to serve the communities in which they live. VMware’s leadership encourages all of us to participate in 40 hours of Service Learning each year, through which we get an opportunity to give back to society and the global community.
I feel I am in a privileged group that has a steady job, good education, and a strong family and it always feels good to give back to society and my local community. It also gives me a sense of contributing to the larger global community because my individual actions support my local community, and the outcomes from those actions go even further into the global community.
Read more stories from our #WeAreCitizenPhilanthropists Series by following the hashtag on LinkedIn & Instagram
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