![]() Sheppard has made the kids feel comfortable to step out of their comfort zone, and get excited about technology,” says Reed. She was so inspired by his work that she decided to start volunteering as well. 41 and she met Sheppard through his volunteer efforts. “Sharing my love of technology was so important because it was exposing these kids to something they didn’t have access to before - and maybe that opens up a future of more opportunity.” ![]() “Find the thing you’re passionate about, figure out how you can share that with other people, and then see how Apple can help you amplify sharing it,” says Sheppard, who also started programs that included an iPad photo club and a course to help parents get their high school diploma. In the first year alone, that amounted to a $10,000 donation from Apple matching his time through the Giving program. During a period of three years, he volunteered an astounding 1,000 hours. 41) in the Bronx, and Sheppard began volunteering to help give them the same opportunities that students at other schools enjoyed. His three youngest children all attended Public School 41 (P.S. Tom Sheppard has been an Apple Store team member in New York City since 2009. “We’ve been able to continue providing these meals because of support from so many organizations, including Apple and its employees, and that means the world to us.” ![]() “A lot of support programs closed down and so we’ve seen people coming from as far away as Staten Island because this is the one place that they know - rain or shine - there’s going to be a meal for them,” says De La Cruz. Bart’s go from about 150 per night before COVID-19, to as high as 425 per night during the pandemic. Juan De La Cruz is the director of the Grand Central Food Program and has seen the number of people served at St. Apple is helping to fund the Coalition’s work through SLC grants. It’s part of the Grand Central Food Program, one of the many services provided by the Coalition for the Homeless, which supports the needs of New York City’s most vulnerable. This soup kitchen runs seven days a week, no matter the weather, and hasn’t missed a night in 36 years. Bartholomew’s Church in midtown Manhattan, a long line of men and women queue for food. In addition to the contributions made through the Employee Giving program, Apple’s Community Investment team donates millions of dollars each year to nonprofits around the globe, including World Central Kitchen, The King Center, and China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.Īpple also donates millions of dollars annually through its Strengthen Local Communities (SLC) grant program, which provides funding to local organizations in the communities where Apple team members live and work.Īt St. ![]() The funds raised through Apple’s Employee Giving program include the work of 68,000 employees who have logged almost 2 million volunteer hours. This year, Apple’s Employee Giving program celebrates its 10th anniversary, having raised nearly $725 million for 39,000 organizations worldwide - with over $120 million distributed to organizations around the globe in 2021 alone. “It has made me realize that sometimes people need someone to lean on to help them through a tough time,” says Hazen, “but they know that we’re there to talk to them and that’s their strength that gets them through to the next day.”Īcross the United States and around the world, Apple and its employees are finding new ways to give back to the communities they call home. Over the course of her volunteering, she’s helped to counsel hundreds of people who are dealing with situations like depression, domestic abuse, and isolation, and - when needed - connect them with professional help and resources. “The money goes to such an amazing organization that is meeting people where they are during a really difficult time.” ![]() “It makes me so happy that Apple helps to magnify the time I put into this,” says Hazen. Since joining in March 2020, Hazen has logged more than 400 hours of texting as part of Apple’s Employee Giving program Apple matches every hour an employee volunteers, or dollar they donate, with a monetary donation to the same organization. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the longtime Apple volunteer started looking for ways to keep helping others remotely and discovered the organization, which anonymously connects those in crisis to a volunteer who has been trained by professionals to listen and offer support. Apple marks a year of giving in the communities it calls homeĮmployee donation and volunteering program raises nearly $725 million over the last decadeįor a few hours every week, Apple corporate team member Mandy Hazen logs onto the Crisis Text Line platform from her home in Fremont, California, and starts to chat with people across the country who are dealing with difficult personal situations. ![]()
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