May was Amazon’s Global Month of Volunteering, an initiative dedicated to driving meaningful impact in the communities in which we operate, taking place in over 50 countries. In Australia, Amazon employees hosted over 70 volunteering initiatives that ranged from packing 18,000 relief items to be stored and shipped to areas affected by natural disasters, to cooking about 2,100 gourmet meals with OzHarvest, and making over 10,000 sandwiches to support hungry kids with Eat Up.
Last month, we saw an incredible uplift of generosity and community spirt. Hear from Adam Whipp from Amazon’s Community Impact Team and delve into the heart of Amazon’s culture of giving and the impact of volunteering on both individuals and communities. Join Adam as he shares personal stories and insights from the Global Month of Volunteering.
How does Amazon's culture encourage you to volunteer?
My favourite (and Amazon’s newest) Leadership Principle is Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility, states “Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day”. I see volunteering as a fundamental piece of this principle, and love that volunteering is highlighted in business reviews and throughout our buildings on posters and screens. This volunteering culture drives teams to think about how we can use our assets to help local communities, and lead to the introduction of the Disaster Relief by Amazon program in Australia.
Can you share a memorable moment from your volunteering experience?
My favourite experience of the month was taking part in an Amazon Career Connections workshop. The workshop was designed to showcase the depth and breadth of career opportunities in the tech industry to Year 7-10 students. A group of Amazonians rotated between tables of students, answering questions about work-life at Amazon, and discussing their interest in the field or related fields. It was inspiring to hear how many students are interested in computing and getting into the tech industry.
What does the Global Month of Volunteering mean to you personally?
While volunteering is encouraged year-round, our Global Month of Volunteering (GMV) is a time when Amazonians come together to celebrate supporting our communities. Personally, I have loved seeing new faces come along to volunteering events and hearing how impactful the experience has been for them. Also, it can be intimidating thinking of how little we can do as individuals, but when we join together like we did throughout May, we can increase our reach and impact.
How do you believe GMV impacts the communities we serve?
We select focus areas where we believe Amazon can make a unique difference with our unique assets, including our people, technology, logistics, etc. GMV has seen us focus on disaster relief, food security, and education. I believe we’ve made progress in each of these, with teams preparing relief items to be sent to areas affected by natural disasters, making thousands of meals and sandwiches for people in need, and inspiring the next generation of students to think about the tech industry as a career path.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering volunteering?
I always say, you will never regret volunteering, so why not give it a try. Don’t be afraid to volunteer for just an hour or so either, you can make a difference and add real value without donating a significant amount of time. Also, it’s a great way to network and meet other Amazonians, so use this opportunity to get to know your peers.
To learn more about how Amazon is contributing to the community, visit https://www.aboutamazon.com.au/news/community.
Also find out How Amazon's first Disaster Relief Hub in Adelaide will support communities in South Australia and Northern Territory
